Bluefield State College has named Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Interm Athletics Director, Derrick Price, as the new Director of Athletics. Price has resigned from his coaching duties to focus on his administrative role.

Price becomes the Athletics Director after coaching the Bluefield State men’s basketball team for a total of five seasons. During his time as head coach at Bluefield State, Price appeared in a total of three United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Tournaments. In the 2018-2019 season, the team finished runner-up in the USCAA tournament.

He first began his athletics journey at Bluefield College as a student-athlete. Price served as team captain for two years in which he made 1st Team All-Conference during his senior year and led Bluefield College to a conference championship in 2002. 

As Assistant Coach at Bluefield College, Price helped the Men’s Basketball Team reach the NCCAA National Tournament three times as well as coming in second place during the 2013-2014 season. 

To further add to Price’s roles and responsibilities, as Interim Director of Athletics he engages in countless meetings to enhance the athletics facilities, build a stronger athletics brand for the Big Blue community, and coordinate games and schedules during an unprecedented COVID year. 

During Price’s time as Interim Athletics Director, he announced the expansion of the Bluefield State athletics department by adding 12 new sports to the current 10 sports.

Price hailed from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was born and raised. He attended William Penn High School and played on the Varsity Team upon arriving as a freshman at Bluefield College. Price remains a pillar in the community where he grew up, and when he’s able to visit, he participates in youth basketball camps, book bag giveaways, and other summer basketball leagues as a basketball coach.

Price continues to work closely with the kids from the neighborhood, helping to encourage and strengthen their basketball knowledge as their coach, he has taken many of these young men from Philadelphia to West Virginia to live with him and his family. For the past couple of years, Price has continued to pay it forward within the Bluefield community by hosting youth basketball summer training camps at Bluefield State College. 

As far as his personal life, Price has two kids, Derrick, Jr., and Aryanna with his wife, Jessica. He is a very dedicated family man as he also supports his son, Derrick, Jr., with his basketball skills and escorts his daughter, Ary, to her cheerleading and gymnastic meets.

As if this doesn’t keep him busy enough, Price also assists his nephews and nieces in Philadelphia via Zoom meetings and also one-on-one basketball sessions. Price’s level of dedication to his family can also be seen in his coaching style.

He treats his players like family by constantly helping them to strive and achieve success on and off the basketball court as well as with academic success. Price’s goals for his players are to have a successful basketball season as well as to ensure that they all graduate and are prepared for the next chapters in their lives.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead B-State Athletics” Price said. “Our goal will remain to develop and support student-athletes who will be winners in the athletic arena and classroom,” said Price.

President Capehart said the search for a new men’s head basketball coach will be launched immediately.

https://go-bstate.com/general/2020-21/releases/20210301nfs8hu