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Rose Bowl is Price's swan song LOS ANGELES - Mike Price held his last pregame news conference as the head football coach at Washington State University early Tuesday morning on the eve of the Rose Bowl, but he refused to get caught up in the emotion or nostalgia that could have rendered him ineffective. "I can't shed any tears before this game," Price said. "If I lose it, it wouldn't give the players a chance to win. I've got to stay focused on the Rose Bowl. I haven't missed a practice and have probably watched even more film that I normally would have to get ready for this game." Price, who will leave WSU after 14 years to coach at Alabama next season, said the Rose Bowl game against Oklahoma should be all about the players and the game, not about departing coaches. "My situation is just a sidelight," Price said. "Afterward, I will comment on what it feels like, but not now. Now, I have to coach in a professional manner." There were many of us who felt Price would not be able to pull it off, that he would not be able to deflect the attention away of his situation and onto the team he has chosen to leave. The correct answer, of course, will be revealed today. If WSU plays well, Price did the right thing. If WSU plays poorly, Price was being selfish. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is among those who simply isn't buying into the notion that Price's departure may actually help motivate WSU. "If he was retiring, that would be one thing," Stoops said, "but to ask the players to win one for the coach who is leaving to go to Alabama, I'm not sure that's going excite a lot of players. It's a situation we've all been in and it's always a distraction." Told of Stoops' comments, Price agreed. "Our players don't need me to get motivated," Price said. "They have a chance to be one of the best teams in Washington State history ... and they're about to get to play in the Rose Bowl." Price's presence does seem to have helped new WSU coach Bill Doba, who is learning to endure all the scrutiny and strange questions that surround all the media conferences at big sporting events. Doba was even able to laugh when asked whether it would be tougher to replace Price or senior quarterback Jason Gesser. "Gesser," Doba deadpanned. "Mike hasn't thrown a pass all year." Doba does have the advantage of keeping most of this WSU team together for next season. After WSU played in the Rose Bowl in 1998, the Cougars lost 29 seniors, along with junior quarterback Ryan Leaf to the NFL, and went 10-24 over the next three seasons. This year the Cougars lose only 19 seniors, nine starters, and their best junior, Outland Trophy winner Rien Long, said he is staying. It's a returning group so good, Price couldn't help but put a little added pressure on Doba. "If I was going to stay, we'd go undefeated and win the national championship," Price said. "How's that for setting up Dobs?" After the laughter had subsided, Price got a little more serious. "We both feel we've got a good team coming back," Price said. "We had 62 different players play for us this year. I don't know if there's another program that's had a winning season that can say that. We just have lots of depth and that's going to help the Cougs next year for sure." Doba has appreciated Price's presence and the way things have unfolded. "It's kind of good that my first game as a head coach isn't a Rose Bowl," Doba said. "At least now I've got a spring to go through and a preseason before getting into a regular season." That, Doba knows, will be difficult enough. "We open with Idaho and then we go to Notre Dame and to Colorado," Doba said. "How's that for a start?" Price has worked out all the logistics for his departure. "We're going back to Pullman on Jan. 2nd," Price said. "I'll clean my office out on Jan. 3rd. I'll leave a whistle for Doba and I'll be in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 4th." Price can only hope the melancholy normally associated with the process of cleaning out an office and the his difficulty of leaving WSU will be overshadowed by the afterglow of a Rose Bowl win. "There are so many great memories I have," Price said. "These guys, the coaches and the players, will be my friends for the rest of my life." | ||||||||||
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