Price Gets Mixed Reaction

When Mike Price walked to the podium Monday afternoon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel during festivities welcoming Washington State to town for the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl, his players politely applauded from their chairs in the ballroom.

Then Price introduced the man he calls his “co-coach,” Bill Doba, the team’s incoming coach, and Cougar players responded with loud, enthusiastic applause.

It was a clear sign of the lingering emotions from the tumultuous two days last week when Price accepted the Alabama coaching job and Doba was named as his replacement.

“Some people in the media and a few fans feel like I shouldn’t be here, but the team wants me here, the coaching staff wants me here, and I want them to win,” Price said. “They have a chance to be the winningest team in school history, and I can help.”

Price insists he would have quit immediately if he believed his players didn’t want him to coach the New Year’s Day game against Oklahoma.

“I’m going to take hits for this, but it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Price, finishing his 14th season with the Cougars, said he never sought the Alabama job.

“I thought Mike Riley got the job,” he said of the New Orleans Saint assistant who turned down the Alabama job Dec. 13. “I never in my wildest dreams thought Alabama would offer Mike Price its head coach job. Not in my wildest dreams.”

Quarterback Jason Gesser, who initially expressed anger at Price’s decision to leave, said the team has accepted Price’s new role as an outgoing coach.

“It’s not even an issue anymore,” Gesser said. “Nothing has changed. He’s still here. We want him to be here. When we first found out, you don’t know how to react. We had to find out what was going on.”

Price said he has been calling plays throughout his Washington State coaching career and believes his presence gives the Cougars their best chance to win.

“These kids deserve my best possible leadership and my best effort,” he said.

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The last time Gesser was at the Rose Bowl was on Dec. 7, when he left the field with a rose between his teeth after leading the Cougars to a 48-27 victory over UCLA that clinched a berth in the New Year’s Day game.

Gesser was in pain from a severe right ankle sprain but still played. He said the ankle injury has not healed. “It’s 75% to 80%,” he said. “It’s better than the UCLA game.”

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The Cougars went through a light workout at the Coliseum on Monday and will practice today before players are given Christmas off.