Eric Price interest in Tulane

[NT80]

Price confirms his interest in Tulane

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

By Fred Robinson

Staff writer

Texas-El Paso offensive coordinator Eric Price confirmed Monday he has had brief conversations with Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson about the vacant Green Wave football coaching position.

Price, 40, the son of UTEP Coach Mike Price, has spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Miners.

"I'm interested in getting involved," Eric Price said while on a recruiting trip in Houston. "I've talked to Rick (Dickson) a couple of times."

Price said he is waiting to hear from Dickson.

"I feel I'm ready to make the move," Price said. "This is the first time I've actively put my name in the hat. I'm just waiting to hear back."

Price is familiar with Dickson. His dad was the football coach at Washington State when Dickson was selected the school's athletic director in 1994. Dickson left for Tulane in December 1999, and Mike Price left for Alabama in 2002. Mike Price, however, never coached the Crimson Tide and became the Miners' coach in 2003.

Eric Price followed his father to UTEP, where he has served as the offensive coordinator. Altogether, he has coached seven years with his father. During the 2000-01 seasons, Eric Price was on the New York Jets' coaching staff.

Also showing interest in the Tulane job is former Green Wave assistant and current Clemson assistant Ron West.

West, Clemson's outside linebackers coach, was on Tommy Bowden's staff at Tulane during the 1997-98 seasons. West said he has not been contacted by Dickson.

"I just look at what Tulane offers, and I think Tulane is a great fit. I definitely think it can get back to where we had it. They were close a couple of times," West said of the recently fired Tulane staff. "I think it can be a good place."

Besides coaching at Tulane for two seasons, West, 49, coached at Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), Baylor, North Texas and Texas Tech. He has coached offense and defense.

FRANK SCELFO IN THE MIX? Former Tulane offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo's name has surfaced as a possible candidate for the North Texas coaching position.

Scelfo was with Tulane for 11 years until the firing of Chris Scelfo and the Green Wave staff last week. Frank Scelfo was in charge of Tulane's offense the past seven seasons.

When reached Monday afternoon, Scelfo had no comment.

Sources said Scelfo was in contact with North Texas Athletic Director Rick Villarreal about the position, although he hasn't formally interviewed.

Villarreal did not return a telephone call to his office.

The North Texas job opened nearly two weeks ago when Darrell Dickey was fired after nine seasons at the Denton, Texas, school. Dickey had an overall record of 42-64 and had guided the Mean Green to four appearances in the New Orleans Bowl.

However, back-to-back losing seasons prompted Villarreal to make a move. Dickey's team was 3-9 this season and 2-9 in 2005.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

If we are going to interview a guy who was a part of a staff at Tulane who was fired, then we might as well interview our last OC that was also fired.

[stebo]

He was also on the staff that led Tulane to an undefeated season. Not saying that he is a good candidate, just that he has not been a perrenial loser for his entire coaching career.