Price sacked a lifetime's reputation

In the end, former Cougar football coach Mike Price was not what the University of Alabama was looking for. His dismissal over the weekend was hardly a surprise in light of Price's behavior and the school's recent history.

Price was hired as much for his grandfatherly mien as his coaching mind. Football reigns supreme in Alabama. A proud, tradition-drenched program sought a fresh face after scandal and unseemly turnover at head coach.

Enter the pride of the Palouse. Price moved to Tuscaloosa with a record of solid teams, productive quarterbacks and Rose Bowl berths, all without a breath of gossip. And then he sacked himself.

Price wanted his shot at the big time, and was primed to deliver. Alabama offered professional satisfaction, big money, a spotlight and prestige. The job also carried the burden of Bear Bryant's ghost and klieg-lighted visibility.

The school expected more, and Price delivered less.

His behavior cannot be defended, and it also suggests a serious drinking problem. Guys pushing 60 cannot run around like twenty-somethings in the NBA. In fact, the National Basketball Association put together a successful counseling program to help its freshly minted millionaires cope with the money, attention and exploitation that goes with fame.

Price, even at age 57, obviously needed a similar intervention.

Did Price deserve a second chance? The short answer is, no. He embarrassed the school, complicated recruiting and gave a university president with two months on the job — and no personal investment — no choice.

Here is a prediction. After Price squares things with his family and dries out, he will coach again. And succeed again. The bitterness and humiliation will recede.

But not before his lack of leadership and moral standards hurt his family and the people closest to him. Price squandered an extraordinary opportunity, and he has no one to blame but himself. That always hurts the most.