Sean Price could have never guessed last winter when he led Billings to a 46-44 win versus Clever that he’d be coaching the Jays a year later. But he’s had his eyes on Clever for several years.
“Clever has always been a place I've known as a good basketball school and a good community,” Price said while coaching the Jays at this week’s Nixa Shootout. “It’s been a place I've had on my radar since I've been in Missouri. I knew it would be a place I'd like to coach at. When the opportunity came up, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.”
Price started his coaching career in Arkansas, but has been in Missouri the past five years. He was an assistant at Republic two years, before taking on head coaching jobs at Miller for two years and Billings last season.
He previously was an assistant at Springdale Har-Ber (Arkansas) a couple years and a head coach at Gentry (Arkansas) six seasons.
Price guided Billings to an 11-18 record that included an upset of No. 1-seeded Galena in a Class 2 District 11 semifinal.
His two years at Miller included a 21-8 season and District championship in 2021 for the Cardinals and a 24-win season and District title in 2022 for the Lady Cardinals.
Price inherits a Jays bunch coming off a 4-22 campaign.
“We've had a good summer,” Price said. “It’s been a good transition, getting to know them, build a relationship with them and try to start installing some of our philosophies in them and the things we expect them to do.
“We're trying to install as much as we can. But we haven't put in a whole lot of offense and defense,” he added. “We just want to see if they are going to work hard. If they are going to be here, they're going to be coached hard and be held accountable. We're trying to get a base foundation set before we throw all the other stuff at them. Already the guys are showing us that we're going to be doing some good things.”
