When you discuss the history of Virginia Tech football, certain legends first come to mind. Frank Beamer, Bruce Smith, Michael Vick, Bud Foster and Corey Moore are just some of the Hokies’ all-time greats. There are others who are legends, too, such as former defensive tackle J.C. Price.
Price was a key starter for the Hokies in the 1990s during Virginia Tech’s rise to prominence. A third-team All-American in 1995, Price was a force on the Hokies’ team that finished 10-2 and blew out the favored Texas
Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.
Price would next land in the NFL as a third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 1996 NFL Draft. After a short NFL career cut short by injuries, Price turned to coaching. He began as an assistant at Radford High School before landing a graduate assistant job under Beamer and Foster in 2002. Price would move on to James Madison in 2004, spending eight seasons there as the defensive line coach before taking a similar position at Marshall in 2012.
Price spent nine seasons with the Thundering Herd, including as a co-defensive coordinator in his final three seasons. In 2021, he returned to Blacksburg. In his first year, the Hokies fired head coach Justin Fuente and named Price interim coach. It was the role of a lifetime for the beloved Hokie.
In 2022, new coach Brent Pry retained Price as his associate head coach and defensive line coach. After Pry was fired in September and Virginia Tech hired James Franklin, Price was unfortunately out of a job.
He now has a new job. Price is the new defensive line coach at East Tennessee State. He will move 2.5 hours from Blacksburg to Johnson City in his new role. While Price is excited to land at ETSU, he did not want to leave Blacksburg and tried everything in his power to stay.
In an excellent sitdown interview with Will Stewart and Andy Bitter on the Tech Sideline podcast, Price revealed he looked into a number of positions, non-coaching, just to stay in the New River Valley. Nothing worked out, so he departed.
Price said that Pry, who is now Virginia Tech’s defensive coordinator, and athletic director Whit Babcock really fought for him to land another role in Blacksburg.
It was an excellent interview that everyone should watch.
Price isn’t just a legend for his playing career. No one will ever forget him smoking a cigar after the win over Virginia when he was the interim coach in 2021. And this speech sealed his legendary status:
We wish the best to Coach Price and his family. Hopefully, he’ll be back where he belongs.
