From what he said, he made it pretty clear that he was brought back to put in place someone who knows how to run the day to day operations along with Nate Poss, and I think more than anything else, to try and stop the bleeding of the fan loss. He said that he didn't think Stull wanted to completely rearrange the offense, and that the players were recruited and were used to this offense. In a very classy move, unlike some, he not only didn't disparage the previous coach, he immediately , as a leader knows how to do, stood up for his men, his new staff. He basically said that the players needed to step up and make plays.
Now, Coach Price is as charming a man as you will find. You almost wouldn't know that he is a fierce competitor because he is really good at letting people see what he wants them to see. But, make no mistake. He is as competitive as it gets. So, his job will be to take the team he has, the style it was recruited for, and turn it from a loser into a winner. Seems like magic. Using the same players, coaches, and style of play and win where Kugler was losing. He won't be changing things much. But, it may be flat out amazing what a little change can make for a team perhaps just needing a little something.
I know that some of the players may be very upset at losing their coach and even more so about how they found out, but if you think Mike Price can charm a snake, know this, he is a football guy from the ground up, inside out, and you just wait until he has a chance to work with them. He is what nowadays is called a "player's coach". I can hear it where I sit, "Big Play!" shouts CMP after an especially good play during practice, and the cheer is repeated by all. No one doubts the character of these players. Kugler must be given his due credit for that. Mike, and just three days of practice is all he will need to pull these fine young men together. They won't go into the Western Kentucky game with their heads down. He will have them not only ready to fight, but looking forward to the fun of it. That is his magic.
Mike Price knows football. He knows that the wider field of college football allows the offense to spread the defense out further to open up gaps. It allows him to do more with less, a situation he has known and used to get to where he has gotten to in his career. What is kind of funny, is that he is not some kind of offensive genius, with all kinds of intricate plays. When early on after Stull had let Mike know that I was getting too much video and was afraid it could be used to spy on the team, Eric laughed and told me that they ran about 25 plays and anyone could get plenty of video tape of their plays by looking at game films. My reason for mentioning this is to make it clear that, the magic touch that Mike Price has always brought with him is the spark, the energy that he brings. His energy becomes the player's energy on the field.
It was that energy that needed success in order to maintain itself that faded with time, perhaps the last time. But I think you will see a little of his magic, his energy along with the enormous weight lifted from the players backs, psychologically, in the first game. The coaches all seemed to believe that they were just a few plays here and there from winning, their way. Well, players and coaches, Mike Price and his Big Play, have some fun at practice, and energy is just that extra jolt you were looking for.
I had predicted a big loss. Vegas has the Miners as 18.5 point dogs. I've never been much of a gambler, but I would be very tempted to put some money on that spread. Mike Price is one of those coaches that could win with the other team's players. I don't know what the final score will be, but I truly believe the team will play with a spark. I believe Kugler had his troops, great soldiers, prepared for battle. As Kugler said, they would compete. They will have that character and strength that Kugler gave them. But, hey will have that special spark, the jolt of energy and inspiration that Mike Price will give them. May I remind you of what the football felt like during the end of the Nord era. Now, remember how the same players did under Price.
Go Miners!
