A Check On Price Finds Him Coaching

Mark Price still turns heads when he walks into the gym.

Most people can’t believe that a four-time NBA all-star, the greatest free-throw shooter in league history, is now coaching an obscure, private academy with just 80 students in its upper grades.

“Everywhere we go, people say, ‘Is that Mark Price?’ ” said Barry Morris, whose 10th-grade son, Tim, is a star for Whitefield Academy. “We tell them it is, but one guy said, ‘I don’t believe you.’ ”

Believe it. Price, who retired from the NBA before the 1999 season after a 12-year career, is a head coach for the first time, working at a 4-year-old suburban school named for an 18th-century English evangelist, George Whitefield (pronounced WIT-field).

“I’ve played before 20,000 people,” Price said. “When I go in some gyms now, there’s only 50 people in the stands. Obviously, it’s a different experience.”

But one he wouldn’t trade for a more prominent job in the NBA or college ranks. He spent a dozen years living out of hotels, eating room service and longing for a chance to spend time with his wife and kids. The couple now has four young ones, two boys and two girls, ranging in age from 2 to 10.

After retiring, Price spent one season as a non-recruiting assistant at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, working for his old college coach. But Bobby Cremins retired at the end of a mediocre season, and Price passed on a chance to remain with the new coach, Paul Hewitt.

“He was looking for people who really fit into what he was trying to do,” Price said. “It would have taken up a lot of time and hours.”

Which brings us to Whitefield Academy, which was looking for a new boys’ coach after going 0-21 two years ago and 7-13 last season.

Price got a phone call from the girls’ coach, Amy Helm, the daughter of Dick Helm, an assistant in Cleveland when Price was starring for the Cavaliers. She wondered if Price knew of anyone who might be interested in coaching an up-and-coming program, albeit one that plays in the lowest level of Georgia high school sports, Class A. He suggested himself.

“There’s a lot of NBA all-stars that I wouldn’t want coaching my son or coaching at this school,” said Barry Morris, one of the school’s founders and coach of the team last year. “But Mark is a fine person who just happens to be an NBA all-star. That makes it nice.”

Price inherited a team that was lacking in victories and experience, but had plenty of talent. The younger Morris is one of the top sophomores in the state, and this year he was joined on the varsity by superb freshman Paul Delaney.

The Wolfpack has been one of the most surprising teams in the state, finishing the regular season 21-4 and earning a spot in the regional playoffs, which begin Thursday.

“I kind of knew we needed someone to take the kids to the next level,” said Eddie James, who is Price’s assistant coach. “The talent is good, but it only plays good if you’ve got top-notch coaching.”

For Price, returning to the high school ranks for the first time in nearly two decades rekindled pleasant memories of his days as a deadeye shooter growing up in rural Oklahoma. On the other hand, he’s had to adjust to life without someone breaking down film, keeping up with the stats and packing the equipment.

“This is high school,” he said, looking around Whitefield’s shiny but tiny gym. “If the floor needs to be swept, you sweep it. I’ve learned to drive a bus this year.”

Of course, it’s nice to coach a group that hangs on your every word. There’s no pompous egos or defiant attitudes on this team, which starts two freshmen and three sophomores.

“It’s hard for a high school kid to disagree with a guy who was an NBA all-star,” Price said, even if most of the players didn’t watch him in his prime. “They were all babies,” he said, chuckling.

Nevertheless, they quickly learned that Price knew what he was talking about and meant what he said. While yelling and stomping and cursing are about of the question for the devoutly religious coach, there’s plenty of fire in those sleepy eyes.

“They know when I’m upset. Trust me,” Price said. “I’ll stop practice if I don’t like what they’re doing and let them run for a while.”

Price, who turns 37 Friday, can also step on the court and show his players a thing or two. Other than a few flecks of gray in his brown hair and a smattering of wrinkles creeping onto his face, he doesn’t look much different from the guy who used to go jumper-for-jumper with Michael Jordan.

“We played one-on-one. He beat me four times straight,” the 6-foot-4 Morris said, obviously impressed. “He kept shooting over me, and I’ve got four inches on him.”

Last week, the Wolfpack ended the regular season with a 65-49 loss to Campbell. Near the end of the game, a small group of Campbell fans chanted mockingly, “Put your coach in! Put your coach in!”

“That’s definitely the frustrating part,” Price said. “It doesn’t matter what level your talking about. If you don’t turn the ball over and hit your free throws, you’ll usually win the game.”

With that, he headed to the parking lot with his wife and kids. Daughter Caroline was wrapped in his arms.

No one asked for an autograph.