Coach Derek Price enters his 38th season overall at Southern University and 34th year as Director of Athletic Equipment.
Price is responsible for the ordering and maintaining of equipment, game gear and facilities for the SU football team as well as Southern's 14 other sports. He is pivotal in helping designing and bringing to life the Jaguar spirit. “The best part of my job is seeing the joy of the athletes, coaches, and fans when the Jaguars take the field looking like a million dollars. Also, with being a former player and a alum of Southern University, I take pride in having the best and looking the best,” said Price on what he appreciates most about his job. For the past four decades, every uniform, every piece of sporting equipment, every shoe, every ball, every jersey to bear Southern’s colors was handled by Price. He has worked under seven head football coaches and seen seven changes in apparel providers. He hasn’t missed a football game since he stepped on campus as a player in 1978. Coach Price was named back-to-back SWAC Equipment Manager of the Year (2008-2009) and (2009-2010) by the conference office for his exceptional efforts in maintaining the Jaguar equipment department.
Coach Price along with Coach Banks and Coach Kirschner were instrumental into helping Southern University Athletics negotiate and sign its first major apparel and equipment deal with Under Armour to outfit all 15 intercollegiate teams, from football to bowling, with everything from game equipment to practice shorts. The deal also covers the cheerleaders and allows fans to purchase authentic gear from the university bookstore.
He was a standout wide receiver and return specialist for the Jaguar football program where he lettered for four years in football, he also played baseball while in school at Southern University before earning his degree in 1981 in Sociology and Criminal Law. The Baton Rouge, LA native has annually worked as an associate with Telex Communications at the Super Bowl starting in 1993, and continued with the 2003 Super Bowl. He is a member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association.
He is married to the former Stephanie Llorens of Natchitoches, La. and they share the joy of one daughter, Raven.
