Hendrix College has announced the hiring of Jeff Price as an assistant coach with the Hendrix Warriors men’s basketball program.
The Lewisburg, Ohio native reunites with head coach Anthony Boone after the two spent three years together on staff at the University of Central Arkansas. Price brings over 30 years of college coaching experience and athletic administration to Hendrix.
Prior to his coming to UCA in 2021, Price spent the previous 21 years at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH where he served as Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director. After spending his first three seasons as Assistant Coach, he was elevated to Head Coach in 2003 followed by Athletic Director in 2013.
Before returning home to the Miami Valley, Price coached one year at Earlham College in Richmond, IN and eight years at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV.
As Head Coach of the Sinclair Tartan Pride for 18 years, his teams won two OCCAC Regular Season Championship and was consistently ranked in the top 20, reaching as high as #2 in the nation in three different weeks. He was twice named OCCAC Coach of the Year (2008 and 2016). His 307 career victories at Sinclair earned him the distinction as the All-Time Winningest Men’s Basketball Coach at Sinclair. It also placed him 4th All-Time among the three college teams in Dayton behind three legendary Hall of Fame Coaches: Don Donoher, University of Dayton (437), Ralph Underhill, Wright State University (356) and Tom Blackburn, University of Dayton (352).
During his 18 years behind the Sinclair bench, his program produced 5 NJCAA All-Americans, 3 NJCAA Academic All-Americans, 35 All-Conference selections, 3 Conference Player of the Year honors, 3 National Player of the Week selections, 2 players that lead the nation in scoring and over 75 players signing National Letters of Intent to play at the 4-year level.
Currently his program has produced 9 individuals to play professionally and one Harlem Globetrotter (Jumpin Joe Ballard). Sinclair Alum and former West Virginia All-Big 12 Guard and Ohio State graduate Sean McNeil is the latest to join the growing list of former Sinclair MBB players to play professionally
Price finished his Sinclair career holding several career and single season coaching records. Career records includes most career wins (307), most home wins (177), most road wins (127) and most season opening game wins (13). Single season longest winning streak (21 games), highest winning percentage .903% (28-3) and most home wins single season (16).
His teams were regularly ranked in the top 20 for points per game and free throw percentage. They scored 100+ points in 83 out of the 510 games played. Even more impressively, they won 75.8% of their games decided by 2 points or less.
In 2013, he was named the Athletic Director and immediately put the same successful core values (3 C’s) in place. Not long after, the Conference voted him to the position of Assistant Commissioner and Chair for Men’s & Women’s Basketball. While at the athletic helm, he implemented several programs that included: added the position of Senior Women’s Administrator, developed an electronic grade reporting system, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Sinclair Hall of Fame, redefined Student-Athlete safety measures, increased operating budgets, increased graduation and transfer outcomes while seeing an marked increased in All-Academic honors.
In 2018-19, Sinclair won the conference OCCAC All-Sport Award for best athletic department. Price was also named the OCCAC Athletic Director of the Year three times during his tenure (2014-15), (2016-17) and (2020-21). He was also given the Region 12 “Norma Dycus” Real Sport award two times (2011 & 2021) for sportsmanship.
During his time as Assistant Commissioner, he also served as the Men’s & Women’s Basketball Chair, Ethics Committee Chair, OCCAC Hall of Fame Committee, NJCAA Committee for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and NJCAA Region 12 Executive Committee.
Before being promoted to Athletic Director, Price also worked full-time for over 10 years as the Corporate Manager for Dayton’s largest privately owned family practice – Schear Family Practice. He also served as the Board of Trustee Chair for the Brown Memorial Library as well as a Precinct Election Official for his district in Preble County.
Most individuals also know Coach Price as something much different. Since the late 80’s, he has been a Walt Disney World Cast Member in many roles; Accounting, Merchandise, Marketing and for the last 25 years, he has had the role of Entertainment Character Performer.
His career started at a small NCAA Division II college in the mountains of WV, Davis & Elkins College. After his first season as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, he was appointed Head Coach for Men’s Golf. During his 7 years leading the Senator’s golf program, the program went from the bottom of the WVIAC to a NCAA D-II Top 25 program. It also earned him a spot on his first national committee, NCAA Advisory Committee (Championship Selections).
During his last two seasons with the Senators, Price accepted the position as Head Women’s Basketball Coach. A short tenure that proved very fruitful for D&E as he recruited the foundation that would lead them to the top of the WVIAC.
Price graduated from Marshall University and is married to Dr. Cynthia Price. They have two sons and four grandchildren.
https://hendrixwarriors.com/news/2024/8/5/price-tabbed-as-assistant-mens-basketball-coach.aspx
