PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M University head men's basketball coach Byron Rimm II announced that Keenan Curry and Ryan Price will join the staff as assistant coaches for the 2014-15 campaign. Curry comes to PVAMU from Emporia State University while Price was at Southern University.
Ryan Price joins the basketball staff Prairie View A&M University for his first season as an assistant coach. Price previously spent three years at SWAC rival Southern University and played a major part in helping the program rank as one of the SWAC's best as the team's recruiting coordinator and assistant coach.
"Ryan Price is one of the top young up-and-coming assistants in the country," said ESPN College Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman. "Price is a grinder as a recruiter and will turn over every stone in order to recruit a player. He has tremendous relationships throughout the country and will help Prairie View A&M in its effort to become one of the top mid-major programs in the country."
At Southern, Price was very instrumental in helping the Jaguars ascend to the top of the SWAC standings from the moment he stepped foot on campus in 2011. In his first season at Southern, Price helped the Jaguars complete a 13-game turnaround from the previous season as Southern went from a last-place team in the SWAC standings to a second place team. In his second season, the Jaguars took the next step as they claimed the top seed in the SWAC Tournament with a 15-3 regular season mark and a 23-10 overall record.
Southern won the SWAC Tournament and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2006. The Jaguars made national headlines that postseason as they nearly pulled off an upset over No. 1 ranked Gonzaga in the second round of tournament action.
Last season, Southern claimed the SWAC's Regular Season Championship for the first time since 2006 as they finished with a 19-13 overall mark. While at Southern, Price was responsible for recruiting and skill development with the post players and in 2013, he orchestrated a recruiting class which was ranked 33rd in the nation by HoopScoopOnline. In addition, Price recruited the 2013 SWAC Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference Selection Malcolm Miller, 2014 SWAC Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference Selection Calvin Godfrey and 2014 SWAC Freshman of the Year Tre'lun Banks.
Prior to Southern, Price spent two seasons at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith as the team's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Price also had a major undertaking with the program as he helped UA Fort Smith transition from the junior college ranks to a NCAA Division II program during his tenure.
During his two seasons at Arkansas-Fort Smith, Price helped guide the Lions to a combined 28-28 win-loss record. The Lions finished 19-10 during the 2010-11 season, and had the best record in the Heartland Conference. Price recruited 2011 Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year Jake Toupal and 2011 Heartland Conference First Team member Josh Simmons.
Price was a student assistant coach at Henderson State University during the fall of 2007 while completing his bachelor's degree in general studies before joining the coaching staff at NCAA Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pa. During his two seasons at Gannon, Price helped guide the Golden Knights to a combined 56-9 win-loss record. The Golden Knights finished 30-4 during the 2008-2009 season, won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship, won the Atlantic Region Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Price also mentored and worked with NCAA Division II All-American and NBDL standout Kyle Goldcamp. At Gannon, Price was in charge of recruiting, coaching post players and monitoring academics.
The Roanoke, Va. native is a 2002 graduate of William Fleming High School, where he earned All-District and All-Region honors. He played three seasons at McNeese State before finishing his collegiate playing career at NCAA Division II Henderson State.
While at McNeese State, Price was named McNeese State's Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year for the Cowboys – a feat accomplished only once before in school history by NBA Hall of Famer and former Detroit Piston Joe Dumars.
During his only season at Henderson State, Price, who played guard, started 32 games and averaged eight points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He helped lead the Reddies to a 23-9 win-loss record, the Gulf South Conference West Division championship and the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Price hails from a basketball family as his father, Tic, is the head men's basketball coach at Lamar University. Price has served as head coach at McNeese State, Memphis and the University of New Orleans.
Keenan Curry begins his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Prairie View A&M University. Curry comes to Prairie View A&M after a two-year at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., Curry spent two seasons at Emporia State University as an assistant coach and played a large role in helping the Hornets achieve their most wins in five years following the 2013-14 season. ESU finished with 18 wins in Curry's final season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament. A total of six players earned MIAA Honors under Curry's watch with four players named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Off the court, Curry wore several hats as ESU's camp coordinator, social media director, recruiting coordinator and academic liaison. As camp coordinator, Curry forged relationships with the nationally acclaimed University of Kansas men's basketball program and had four Jayhawks serve as camp guests and speakers during ESU's annual basketball camps.
Prior to ESU, Curry spent two seasons as an assistant basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas. At Fort Scott, Curry coached three players whom averaged in double figures in his final season at FSCC while also helping the team rank fourth in free throw percentage amongst Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference teams. Curry, who also played two seasons at FSCC from 2007 to 2009, was also in charge of film exchange, opponent breakdowns, summer camps and team workouts.
Curry graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2011 and holds a master's in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Emporia State.
COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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