Price steps out of baseball

Until recently the sight of Chris Price working after hours at the baseball field was as common as a LaRue County Hawks 18th District Championship.

Chris Price, the former LaRue County High baseball coach, stands in front of some of his souvenirs.

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Winning district has become expected in LaRue County baseball over the past decade and so has Price.

The Hawks have captured 11 consecutive district titles.

Eight of the eleven titles were claimed under Coach Price, who coached his last game in June, falling to Central Hardin in the 5th Region championship game.

It was the Hawks’ first return to the region championship since 2003 and the furthest Price had taken his team as head coach.

Price is finishing his Rank I certification in administration with the University of the Cumberlands, which will allow him to pursue a career in school administration.

“I loved coaching but couldn’t spend the time needed coaching, maintaining the field and finishing my Rank I,” Price said.

Price has been a staple in LaRue County’s coaching staff for as long as his 2012 senior players have been alive. 

Beginning in 1995 and spending 10 years with the freshman and junior varsity teams, he worked his way to varsity head coach in 2005. Since that time the Hawks have a staggering 60-3 record against teams in their district, eight straight district titles and a record of 126-41 against the 5th region competition.

Price’s instant success at the varsity level might lead you to believe he knew everything there was to know about coaching in his first year. 

The Hawks won district and reached the regional semifinals in 2005, but Price will tell you different saying, “coming out of college you think you know everything about the game, until you start coaching and realize you don’t know anything.”

The Hawks had one of their best seasons under Price in 2012, making their deepest regional tournament run in Price’s tenure: a fitting end if you consider one of his coaching philosophies, “a good coach should get better with every year.”

Price has now passed the varsity head-coaching torch to Eric Allen and will finish his Rank I in administration.

Don’t be too surprised if you find Price around the field next spring, as he’d like to do some work in the announcers’ booth this season.