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Most coaches who take a new job have to literally uproot their entire lives, but the only thing Mark Price will need to change is the destination on the GPS in his car! Last March he was hired as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers after spending the past 2 years as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets. He is 1 of the best players in Georgia Tech history, a 2-time All-American who was named 1985 ACC tourney MVP. During his 12-year NBA career he became 1 of the best shooters in the history of the sport, and now we get to see how he does on the sideline. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Price about splitting the double-team and being on the court for 1 of Michael Jordan’s most famous shots.
At Georgia Tech you were named 1983 ACC ROY after leading the conference in scoring as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The opportunity was there. 1 of the reasons that I chose Georgia Tech was that it was a rebuilding program at the time so I would get a lot of playing time right away, which helped my development as a player.
In the 1985 ACC tourney title game you scored 16 PTS and were named tourney MVP after a 5-PT win over North Carolina: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing in Atlanta, and how hard is it to beat a team 3 times in 2 months? I think anytime you play in your city it gives you an advantage. The biggest challenge was to beat them 3 times in 1 season, which is very difficult to do. It is pretty rare, so it was quite an accomplishment.
In the 1986 NBA Draft you were selected by Dallas and then traded later that day to Cleveland: how did it feel to get drafted, and how did it feel to get traded so quickly? It happened very quickly, but my agent at the time told me that it was a deal that had been worked out in advance. I was not with Dallas long enough to consider myself a Maverick, and knew that I was going to Cleveland the whole time.
You swept Chicago 6-0 during the 1989 regular season, but in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference 1st round Michael Jordan scored 44 PTS including his famous series-winning shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer: did you think that the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was definitely my most devastating loss. We felt that we were the better team but I did not even play in Game 1 due to a pulled groin muscle. Game 5 was unbelievable: most people do not remember Craig scoring a layup right before Jordan made his shot.
Your 90.4 career FT% is 1 of the best in NBA history, you were a 2-time winner of the NBA 3-PT Shootout, and you have been a shooting consultant for several NBA teams: what is your secret for making shots, and how do you teach other players to make their own shots? Good technique is a starting point: I was fortunate that my dad was a coach who helped me create my shot. I have been able to pass it along to other guys: everyone is a little different but they all need some of the basics. I just try to take all of the information and apply it to the person I am working with to help them improve.
You are known as the pioneer of attacking the pick and roll by splitting the double-team: how did you come up with the idea, and how has it become so popular? It was not being done at the time and I just came upon it by happenstance. I remember it vividly: I was being guarded by Mo Cheeks and we were playing Philly in the 2nd of back-to-back games. I came off of a pick and roll and their big guy came out really high. It looked like the Red Sea parting so I just drove past him, pulled up, and made a shot. Cheeks complimented me on it afterward and I ended up making it a regular part of my game.
Last March you signed a 5-year deal to become head coach at Charlotte: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took the job because it was the perfect opportunity for me in a lot of different ways. I was already in the city as an assistant for the Hornets so my family did not have to move. I was just waiting for the right situation and have worked at the NBA level for the last 7-8 years, but after being contacted by the school and checking out the campus I think that it is a great chance to build something.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against Syracuse/Miami/Georgetown: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They will all be big tests for us because we have 8 new players on the roster. We are just trying to build and develop what we do. The Bahamas tourney during Thanksgiving will include 3 big-time opponents over 3 straight days, which will be a real challenge.
You only return 1 of your top-7 scorers from last year (Braxton Ogbueze): how will you try to replace all of that missing offense? We are trying to figure all of that out right now and see what kind of system we will play. I like the guys we brought in and we will just take it day by day.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I am in a unique situation. There is so much unknown with a new team/coaching staff so I just expect to compete every night and have a chance to win games. I do not have a specific number of wins in mind.