Denny Price was success as player, coach and person

ON his office door at Phillips University in Enid, Denny Price hung a cartoon which used his son Mark's long-range shooting ability as the punchline - something about a telephone and hitting a shot from another area code.

The funny thing is, Mark and his brother Brent, who both went on to NBA careers, weren't necessarily the best shooters in the Price family. Denny always claimed he was, and there's enough evidence to validate that claim. You just have to go back a ways to find it.

Most younger sports fans knew Denny, who died Friday of a heart attack at age 62, only as Mark and Brent's father. But before Mark and Brent starred on the basketball court, Denny was a pretty fair player in his own right, at Norman High School and the University of Oklahoma.

During his 2 1/2 years at Norman High (after moving from Washington, OK), Denny scored 1,086 points and earned fame for his shooting skills - much like his sons would a generation later.

That Norman team "had the best fast break ever in Oklahoma," said Ray Soldan, who's covered prep sports for nearly 50 years for The Oklahoman . With Price in the middle and John Woodall and Don Masters on the wings, "a lot of times the ball would never hit the floor" as they drove for a layup, Soldan said.

In 1955, Denny led the Tigers to the Class AA title, pouring in 42 points (on 15-of-18 shooting) in a 60-59 win over Bartlesville. That is a big-school state-tournament scoring record which still stands, and which has been matched only once - by Mark Price, in Enid's 1982 Class 5A semifinal win over Jenks.

In 1956, Norman lost 37-34 to Capitol Hill in the AA semifinals. But Denny still was named the Oklahoma player of the year, just like Mark was in 1982. They're the only father-son combo ever to win those prestigious honors.

Denny later received the highest honor which can be given a Norman High athlete - induction into the school's Ring of Honor.

But Price's story didn't end in Norman. After his playing days, he went into coaching. In 1986, he landed at Phillips, where he served at various times as men's basketball coach, women's basketball coach, golf coach and athletic director. A devout Christian, Price enjoyed working at Phillips, a school associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Matt, the middle son between Mark and Brent, left Appalachian State to play for (and later coach with) his dad.

After a heart attack and bypass surgery in December 1987, Denny returned to the court, albeit with a considerably more mellow coaching style. ("Doctor's orders," he said.) He stepped down as Phillips' men's coach in 1993, but when PU's women's team needed an interim coach late in the 1995-96 season, Price filled in.

He kept the job after the season ended, saying coaching women rejuvenated him. Two years later, the Fillies rose to No. 2 in the NAIA rankings, broke Southern Nazarene's nine-year hold on the Sooner Athletic Conference title, reached the second round of the NAIA tournament and finished 25-7.

Phillips closed before the 1998-99 school year began, but Price stayed in Enid. Basketball returned to him, in the form of the Oklahoma Storm, a pro team based in Enid. The Storm's magic carpet ride through the United States Basketball League tournament ended the Sunday before Price died, with an 89-86 loss to Dodge City in the title game in Salina, Kan.

Despite the loss, Price was his usual self after the game - polite, calm and collected, able to dissect what had gone wrong for the Storm in the final minutes. He talked about how much fun he'd had coaching the team, about the prospects for next season, about the future for various players on the Oklahoma roster.

"I've enjoyed working with the Storm guys," Price said. "Somebody's got to win, and somebody's got to lose. This time, it was us that had to lose, but there will be another day."

Unfortunately, there won't be for Denny Price, and that's a great loss. Denny was a fine player and coach, but he was even a better person. Just ask anyone who ever met him.

In the spotlight

An Oklahoma basketball player and an Oklahoma football team received recognition in national publications this week.

In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, there's an advertising feature on page 70 that tells about the Jenks' football team and how the Trojans have worked with the Special Olympics program at their school.

In Tuesday's editions of USA Today, an article about last week's Nike Men's All-America Camp in Indianapolis called Tulsa Victory Christian junior-to-be Kelenna Azubuike an "emerging talent."

Murray Evans can be reached by e-mail at mevans@oklahoman.com.

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