Price Keeps WSU’s Concerns First On List Phone Messages, Other Jobs Can Wait Until Their Time Is Due

Mike Price has been inundated with phone calls since Washington State clinched a Rose Bowl berth two weeks ago. At least one call came from a prospective employer.

“I’ve already turned down a job,” the ninth-year WSU coach said Friday. “I told them I don’t even want to know how much it pays - don’t even tempt me on it.”

Price, who is renegotiating a contract that has three years remaining, said he won’t entertain outside offers until he receives an offer from WSU.

Athletic director Rick Dickson has expressed hope that an agreement will be reached before the eighth-ranked Cougars play top-ranked Michigan in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl.

After last season, Price reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from the University of Minnesota. He figures to be courted more intensely this year, although fifth-ranked North Carolina is the only Top 25 program with an opening.

“I’ll have to look at the options,” Price said. “I certainly want Washington State to be one of those options, and I’m confident that it is going to be.”

Price makes $112,000 per season in base salary, the lowest figure among Pacific-10 Conference coaches. WSU’s ability to make a competitive offer may determine whether Price stays.

“Yeah, at a certain point it does, but you can only own so many color TVs,” Price said. “Joyce and I in that big house, now that’s another aspect, too.

“We don’t have the ties or the family, with the kids in school. It’s just Joyce and I and we could pick up and go any place. But I’m not considering it and I’m not looking.”

Notes

WSU will conduct the first of 16 Rose Bowl practices today, beginning at 1. The Cougars will practice every day through Tuesday before taking the next five days off.

The break will allow Price and quarterback Ryan Leaf to attend the College Football Awards Show in Orlando, Fla., to be televised Thursday night at 5 by ESPN.

Price is a candidate for the Eddie Robinson coach of the year award. Leaf is contending for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards.

Also, Leaf has been invited to attend the Heisman Trophy presentation two days later in New York (see related story, C1).

Leaf and Washington receiver Jerome Pathon are on the same flight into Orlando. No word on seat assignments.

Price has done everything but coach football since the Cougars closed out the regular season with a 41-35 victory over Washington.

“I’m just kind of frazzled right now,” he said. “The tickets have been just a huge, huge distraction.

“And I’ve got 300 calls I haven’t even returned yet. I don’t like to treat people like that, but there’s only so many hours in a day.”

In addition, Price is entertaining several recruits this weekend.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Ticket deadline moved Because of the high volume of calls to order tickets for the Rose Bowl, the ticket-order deadline has been extended to qualified individuals to next Wednesday, WSU athletic director Rick Dickson said. The 1-800-GO COUGS phone lines will be taking orders from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily, effective immediately. Qualified ticket-seekers include Cougar Club donors, WSU football season-ticket holders and donors to the university. The WSU ticket office will send post cards of confirmation to those who have already placed orders. And good luck to all WSU has learned that Ticketmaster will sell 1,000 Rose Bowl tickets to the general public on Monday. Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. on a firstcome, first-served basis and there is a limit of two tickets per call. Ticketmaster’s phone number is 206-628-0888.