Texas A&M defensive ends coach Terry Price, a member of the original Wrecking Crew before becoming a fixture on the coaching staffs of Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher, has died. He was 55 years old.
Price played under coaches Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum at A&M from 1986-89, then played two seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He came back to A&M to finish his degree in 1992, and quickly found what would become his career: coaching.
Price joined Slocum's staff for two years, then moved to Western Kentucky for a season. He would then join the Ole Miss coaching staff as the defensive line coach in 1995, starting a tenure in the SEC that never ended. He would coach in Oxford for three seasons before moving to Auburn, where he served as the defensive line coach 1999-2008.
He would return to Oxford for another three years, until Houston Nutt and his staff were dismissed after the 2011 season. it proved to be a fortuitous turn of events for Price, because his alama mater was making changes as well.
With the hiring of Sumlin from Houston and the Aggies entering the SEC, Price's history in the conference and recruiting chops made him a natural fit. He came in and made an immediate impact, as defensive end Damontre Moore was an All-American in 2012 with 12 1/2 sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
Price recruited and then coached Myles Garrett, who went from the #2 player in the nation according to Rivals.com in the 2014 recruiting class to the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, with two All-American seasons in between.
In 2017, he replaced Garrett with former third-string linebacker Landis Durham, who responded by leading the SEC with 10 1/2 sacks.
When Sumlin was dismissed after the 2017 season, Jimbo Fisher kept Price on as he assembled his first staff at A&M. He helped coach DeMarvin Leal, Kingsley Keke and Micheal Clemons to NFL careers during his time under Fisher, while continuing to be one of the nation's elite recruiters. A&M's remarkable haul in the 2022 class was, in no small part, due to Price's work on the recruiting trail.
“Terry was not only a great Aggie, football coach and recruiter, he was an even better husband, father and man,” Aggie head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “The impact he had on this program and his players is immeasurable. Our football family has suffered an incredible loss. We will continue to hold Kenya and the boys in our thoughts and prayers.”
Off the field, Price was known for his friendly demeanor, outgoing personality and mastery of the grill. His defensive line cookouts became the stuff of legend over the past several years.
Price is survived by his wife Kenya and sons Alexander and Devin, both of who also graduated from A&M. Devin Price played on the same team his father coached in Aggieland for three seasons.
