Thursday, September 21, 2006

Tarrance Price, who went to two NCAA Tournaments as a member of the Crusader basketball team from 1998-2000, has rejoined the Valpo family as the Director of Basketball Operations, Head Coach Homer Drew announced today.

?I have a lot of great memories of Valpo," Price said. ?I won two championships, had a lot of great teammates and played in a lot of great games, and it's very nice to be back around all of the good people here."

Price averaged 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds during his two-year Crusader career, shooting 38.1% from three-point range and helping the Brown and Gold capture back-to-back Mid-Continent Conference Tournament titles. But Price was perhaps most well known for one singular performance, January 28, 1999 against Oakland, when he made four three-pointers in a 54 second span with the Crusaders down and just over two minutes remaining in the game, one Valpo would win 76-72.

The native of Junction City, Kan., who played two seasons at Barton County (Kan.) Community College before coming to Valparaiso, was the Head Boy's Varsity Basketball Coach and Athletic Director at Saint Xavier High School in Junction City from 2001-02 and has worked as a special education teacher and mental health counselor for the last three and a half years. Most recently, Price was a correctional officer at Judge Riddel's Boy's Ranch in Wichita, Kan. from 2005-06.

The hiring of Price rounds out the 2006-07 Valpo coaching staff, with assistants Bryce Drew, Luke Gore and Jason Hawkins serving under Homer Drew, who will begin his 18th season as the Crusader head coach this winter. Hawkins, Bryce Drew and Price all played under the elder Drew at Valpo.

The 2006-07 season will begin November 4when the Crusaders welcome another ex-player Greg Tonagel, now head coach of Indiana Wesleyan, to the Athletics-Recreation Center for Valpo's exhibition opener at 7:35 p.m. The Brown and Gold open the regular season November 11 at 7:05 p.m. against Calumet College.