Excuse me for being a little cynical, but I find it hard to believe Gabby Price’s decision to resign as the head football coach at Husson University didn’t come without some internal controversy.
The fact that one of Price’s strengths as a coach is his relationships with his players, yet the Eagles had no idea his resignation was coming until receiving letters in the mail the day the decision was announced, prompts that cynicism — not to mention the reality that preseason practices for the 2009 season aren’t far away.
The 60-year-old Price, who had considerable coaching success during two stints at Bangor High School, rebuilt the Husson football program from scratch beginning with its reinstatement in 2002. The Eagles went 25-28 during his six seasons as head coach — 19-10 during the last three seasons including an ECAC Northeast Bowl berth in 2008.
So just when the program is finding its stride and preparing to join a conference that should eventually lead to the possibility of qualifying for the NCAA playoffs, this charismatic leader decides to leave?
Perhaps the beginning of the end came when Price relinquished his athletic director’s duties at Husson last August.
New administrators bring with them new philosophies, typically somewhat different from their predecessors — and that can lead to conflict.
No one’s saying publicly that such is the case in Price’s situation, but the template exists throughout sports organizations at all levels— much as in any other business — that many partings of the way stem from that widely defined category known as “philosophical differences.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was at least part of the case in this situation.
Husson continues to experience impressive growth in nearly all aspects of its educational mission.
New programs are added each year, adding to the variety of offerings at what was predominantly a business school a generation ago.
Management is changing, too, particularly with Husson president Bill Beardsley’s pending retirement in December.
The reinstatement of football has been seen as a major symbolic step in that growth, as well as ensuring an increase in male students to the campus.
And within the Maine high school football community, Husson has become a prime destination for many of the state’s best student-athletes, whose options for an in-state college football experience previously were much more limited until the resurrection of the Eagles’ program.
Credit that to Gabby Price.
But while Price hasn’t completely ruled out a return to the sidelines someday — another clue that his resignation wasn’t motivated solely by retirement wishes — it won’t be at Husson.
Everyone’s replaceable in their jobs, and Husson will land a replacement relatively soon. Perhaps it will be a Price protégé in Nat Clark, currently an Eagles assistant coach as well as the school’s assistant AD for student wellness.
No matter who is hired, that replacement will be nearly as important in terms of maintaining the momentum of Husson’s football program as Price was in establishing it.
Taking Husson football to whatever that next level may be won’t be an easy job — but is one Gabby Price seemed exceedingly capable of handling.
Sure, he’s got business ventures and family to keep him busy, but forgive me for being a bit cynical in believing that the fiery Price wasn’t interested in continuing what he started on the gridiron.
