University of Memphis Athletics
Eric Price Recommended As Memphis Tigers Offensive Coordinator
Dec 28, 2009 | Football
Dec. 28, 2009
MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis head football coach Larry Porter announced today that he will recommend Eric Price to the Tennessee Board of Regents to serve as the Tigers' offensive coordinator. As the coordinator, Price will work primarily with the receiving unit.
Price has experience both at the collegiate and professional level. His most recent appointment was as the wide receivers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2008, he coached Dwayne Bowe, who logged 86 catches for 1,022 yards. Price got his initial NFL coaching experience as an offensive assistant with the N.Y. Jets from 2001-02. He was instrumental in the development of Jets quarterback Chad Pennington.
Price owns an extensive background as an offensive coach on the collegiate level, enjoying stints coaching both wide receivers and quarterbacks, in addition to his experience as an offensive coordinator.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Price served as the offensive coordinator at UTEP for four seasons (2004-07) under his father, Mike Price. In addition, he tutored the wide receivers his first three years with the Miners before coaching the quarterbacks in 2007. He led an offensive attack that scored 30 points or more on 30 different occasions and racked up 400 yards or more of total offense 28 times in the four seasons.
While at UTEP, Price oversaw an offensive unit that featured a pair of record-setting players. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe threw for 3,101 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Miners in 2007, the best totals by a freshman in school history. His 3,101 passing yards were the second-highest total by a freshman in the nation. Receiver Jeff Moturi caught 13 touchdown passes, the second-highest total in Miners history, including a score in 10 consecutive games. The running game featured running back Marcus Thomas who ran for 1,166 yards and 16 touchdowns, the second-highest total in school history.
In 2006, UTEP ranked fifth in the country in passing offense under Price's leadership, averaging 312.8 passing yards per game. Jordan Palmer threw for a school-record 3,595 yards as the club compiled 3,754 total passing yards, the best mark in school history. All-America receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. averaged 109.9 receiving yards per game to rank second in the nation. He finished his career owning school records with 3,218 receiving yards, 32 touchdown receptions and 11 100-yard games.
The Miners scored 30 points or more in seven games and topped the 40-point plateau on four occasions in 2005. Price helped the offense rank ninth in the nation by averaging 300.6 passing yards per game. The offense featured three receivers who posted a 100-yard receiving game.
The Pullman, Washington native also served as the quarterbacks coach for three seasons at Washington State (1998-2000) while his father, Mike, served as the head coach. The younger Price helped develop quarterbacks Jason Gesser and Matt Kegel during his time with the Cougars.
Prior to joining his father, Price coached the wide receivers at Northern Arizona ('96-97), California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo (1994-95) and Miami (1992-93). He was instrumental in tutoring a Hurricanes squad that led the country in pass offense in 1992. He enjoyed a stint as a graduate assistant at Hawaii (1991) after beginning his collegiate coaching career as a student assistant at Weber State (1990). Price started his coaching resume with two Australian club teams in 1985.
The Weber State product was a two-year letterman for the Wildcats, playing wide receiver under his father. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Weber State in 1990.
