George "Tic" Price (born November 29, 1955) is an American college basketball coach. He last coached the Lamar Cardinals men's basketball team. From 2002 to 2007, he served as head coach at McNeese State. Prior to that, he served as head coach of Memphis and New Orleans. Price's daughter is Sports Illustrated model Chanel Iman, who married NFL wide receiver Sterling Shepard in 2017. He is married to the former Jamie Lynn Simms, and the couple has two children - son, Ryan, a college basketball coach who played for his father at McNeese, and daughter, Chanel. He has three granddaughters - Bella Grace Price, Cali Clay Shepard and Cassie Snow Shepard.

Tic Price
Biographical details
Born (1955-11-29) November 29, 1955 (age 68)
Danville, Virginia, U.S.
Playing career
1974–1976VCU
1976–1979Virginia Tech
Position(s)Small forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1980–1984Roanoke (assistant)
1984–1989Chattanooga (assistant)
1989–1991Virginia Tech (assistant)
1991–1993Old Dominion (assistant)
1993–1994Auburn (assistant)
1994–1997New Orleans
1997–1999Memphis
2000–2001McNeese State (assistant)
2001–2006McNeese State
2007–2008North Texas (assistant)
2008–2011Lamar (assistant)
2014–2021Lamar
Head coaching record
Overall279–235 (.543)
Tournaments0–2 (NCAA Division I)
1–2 (NIT)
0–2 (CIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Sun Belt tournament (1996)
Sun Belt regular season (1996, 1997)
C-USA National Division (1998)
Southland tournament (2002)
Southland regular season (2002)
Awards
4x NABC District 8 Coach of the Year (1995, 1996, 1997, 2002)
3× LABC Coach of the Year (1996, 1997, 2002)
3x Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year (1996, 1997, 2002)
Sun Belt Coach of the Year (1997)
Southland Coach of the Year (2002)

Currently, Price works as an analyst on ESPN+ college basketball broadcasts for the Southland Conference and the University of New Orleans. He is also releasing a book focusing on his life and coaching career titled Locker Room Talk in 2022.

Coaching career

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University of New Orleans

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Price went to New Orleans as an assistant coach under Tommy Joe Eagles in 1994, but was named head coach after Eagles' unexpected death in July 1994. After a 20-win inaugural season, Price led the Privateers to a mark of 21–9 in 1995–96, claiming the Sun Belt Conference championship with a 57–56 victory over Arkansas–Little Rock and received a bid to the NCAA tournament where the team lost to North Carolina. In 1996–97, the Privateers posted a record of 22–7 and participated in the National Invitation Tournament. Price became the first coach to win 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons at New Orleans, while setting the Sun Belt Conference career record for winning percentage in league games (.759) and collecting a record 22 consecutive conference home wins.

University of Memphis

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Price became Memphis's 14th head coach on March 27, 1997. In his first year at the helm, Price and the Tigers exceeded all expectations by going 17–12, winning the National Division of Conference USA and advancing to the NIT. His second season was a disappointment as a young but talented Tiger team posted a 13–15 record. He was forced to resign days before the start of what would have been his third season because of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student.[1]

McNeese State University

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Price was hired as an assistant at McNeese State in 2000. Prior to the 2001–02 season, Price took over the McNeese State program following Ron Everheart leaving to coach Northeastern University. In his first season, he guided the Cowboys to the nation's largest turnaround, posting a 22–9 record, capturing a Southland Conference regular season title, and securing a berth in the NCAA tournament. Price went 74–68 in his five seasons with McNeese State. His contract was not renewed following the 2006 season.[2]

North Texas

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Price spent one season as an assistant at North Texas in 2007–08.[3]

Lamar University

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Price served as an assistant coach at Lamar from 2008 to 2011. He remained at Lamar as associate vice president of student engagement thereafter. However, on February 16, 2014—with five games to go in the 2013-14 season—Lamar president Kenneth Evans fired head coach Pat Knight and named Price interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Price initially said he had no desire to ever coach again, but Evans told him that it wasn't an offer, but an order. Under Price, the Cardinals finished the 2013–14 season with a 1–4 record.[4] On March 18, 2014, Lamar removed the "interim" tag from Price's title and formally named him as its 11th head coach.[5][6] Price's first full season ended with an overall record of 15–15 and a conference record of 9–9.[7] In 2018–19, Lamar finished tied for third place in the Southland Conference with a 20–13, 12–6 record finishing out the season with 9 wins in its final 10 games and eleven wins of its final 13 games. The 20 win season was the first one for the Cardinals since 2011–12 after missing the 20 win mark by one game the previous two seasons. It was Price's fifth 20 win season as a head coach.[8]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
New Orleans Privateers (Sun Belt Conference) (1994–1997)
1994–95 New Orleans 20–11 13–5 2nd
1995–96 New Orleans 21–9 14–4 T–1st NCAA Division I First Round
1996–97 New Orleans 22–7 14–4 T–1st NIT First Round
New Orleans: 63–27 (.700) 41–13 (.759)
Memphis Tigers (Conference USA) (1997–1999)
1997–98 Memphis 17–12 12–4 1st (National) NIT Second Round
1998–99 Memphis 13–15 6–10 T–2nd (National)
Memphis: 30–27 (.526) 18–14 (.563)
McNeese State Cowboys (Southland Conference) (2001–2006)
2001–02 McNeese State 21–9 17–3 1st NCAA Division I First Round
2002–03 McNeese State 15–14 10–10 5th
2003–04 McNeese State 11–16 7–9 9th
2004–05 McNeese State 13–15 8–8 6th
2005–06 McNeese State 14–14 9–7 4th
McNeese State: 74–68 (.521) 41–37 (.526)
Lamar Cardinals (Southland Conference) (2014–2021)
2013–14 Lamar 1–4 1–4
2014–15 Lamar 15–15 9–9 6th
2015–16 Lamar 11–19 3–15 13th
2016–17 Lamar 19–15 10–8 T–5th CIT First Round
2017–18 Lamar 19–14 11–7 T–5th CIT First Round
2018–19 Lamar 20–13 12–6 T–3rd
2019–20 Lamar 17–15 10–10 T–6th
2020–21 Lamar 10–18 6–10 7th
Lamar: 112–113 (.498) 62–69 (.473)
Total: 279–235 (.543)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "Ex-Memphis coach Price admits to affair with student | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal". lubbockonline.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  2. ^ "USATODAY.com - Tic Price fired as McNeese State basketball coach". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. ^ "Jones Adds Tic Price To Mean Green Basketball Staff - MEANGREENSPORTS.COM - The University of North Texas Official Athletic Site". www.meangreensports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ^ Iles, Trey (2015-01-06). "Former UNO men's basketball coach Tic Price finds love of coaching again at Lamar". The Times-Picayune.
  5. ^ "Lamar removes interim tag, Tic Price named head coach". NBC Sports. March 18, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  6. ^ "Tic Price to Lead Lamar Hoops Program Price served as LU interim head coach in final five games of 2013–14". Lamar University Athletics. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  7. ^ "Lamar Cardinals Schedule - 2014-15". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  8. ^ James Dixon (March 14, 2019). "LU Falls in SLC Second Round on Late Basket". Lamar University Athletics. Retrieved March 18, 2019.