Charlotte 49ers firing Mark Price ‘sickens’ Dick Vitale. Here’s how Twitter reacted.
Thursday’s sudden firing of Charlotte 49ers basketball coach Mark Price caught many people off guard.
Just nine games into the season, Price, a former NBA All-Star with a 30-42 record in two-plus seasons, is out of a job after a four-game losing streak. He will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant Houston Fancher.
“I’m still stunned, to be honest,” Price told the Observer. “I was called in (Thursday) morning and was told they were going to make a change.”
Price was not the only person left stunned by the move, judging by reaction on Twitter.
Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale said the move left him feeling sick. He also suggested quick firings justify coaches making their own sudden moves.
When this happens on the collegiate level so quickly based on W’s& L’s it sickens me / Mark Price a classy guy / Do u blame coaches when they have upper hand to take adv ? It is a 2 way deal baby ! https://t.co/kTTDU5rnwh
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 14, 2017
Vitale’s strong response generated intense reaction, some with the hashtag #FireJudyRose, a reference to 49ers athletics director Judy Rose.
Dick you have to speak out about @Charlotte49ers AD Judy Rose. She is ruining a once proud and respectable program! #FireJudyRose
— Craig Mack (@DJ_Who_Is) December 14, 2017
Should have been Judy Rose getting fired! 27 years as an AD at One school! Zero NCAA tournaments for men’s b-ball in 12 years! Football was 1-11 in its 5th year! Help us out, V!
— Ryan Philmon (@49erPhilmon) December 14, 2017
We all know he knows the game! He deserves much better!
— M. Price (@switch2756) December 14, 2017
Price, a former point guard, came to the 49ers with an impressive playing resume. At Georgia Tech, he earned first-team Associated Press All-ACC honors three times. In 12 NBA seasons, most with the Cleveland, he was named an NBA All-Star four times. Both the Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers retired his No. 25 jersey.
However, Price had no collegiate head coaching experience when the 49ers hired him away from the Charlotte Hornets, where he was the shooting coach. He had served as a head coach at a private Atlanta high school and in Australia’s National Basketball League.
As news of Thursday’s firing spread, the “pro-Price” tweets were plentiful.
Wow! @Charlotte49ers firing #Cavs legend Mark Price after 2+ seasons. Talk about a quick hook! I get if this happened at a major school, but at a school from C-USA?! This is laughable. @Mark25Price deserves better than that. @ScottSabolFOX8 @JohnTelich8 https://t.co/X1jiUD5gpU
— John Sabol (@John_Sabol) December 14, 2017
While it didn't work out, Price was a great guy and unfortunately is the scapegoat for a terrible administration that hasn't seen success in almost 20 years in anything besides "soccer and golf"
— Alex Passannante (@Alex_Passa15) December 14, 2017
Never had the benefit of a recruiting class maturing after losing 2-3 of the returning players plus a few commits after taking the job. Reality: has had 1 season to impact program. Would the Univ. admin welcome same scrutiny on all aspects of the Univ & not just athletics?
— Charlie Johnson (@lzg0kb) December 14, 2017
I’ve always wondered what’s the point in firing a coach mid-season? ♀️ Unless something egregious happened. https://t.co/KGVZvGXlzM
— Dr. Kristene Kelly (@Dr_K_Kelly) December 15, 2017
Charlotte 49ers dropping Mark Price before C-USA play. The season doesn't start till January -- this move is laughable by administration. After transfers galore 3 years ago...the rebuild takes longer than a blink of an eye.
— Jeff Zell (@Jeff_Zell) December 14, 2017
Sad and bad move.
Mark Price was one of the most underrated players of the 90s. He's also known as The Originator Of Splitting The Defense! https://t.co/TgBinh2lNq pic.twitter.com/H4JvQjuz0p
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 14, 2017
But some Twitter users supported the firing, and used social media to advance their points.
Are you kidding me? He made 500,000 not 50. He was 30-42 at his job which means he was bad at it. He will receive a 450,000 severance.
— peter brown (@peterbrownysr) December 14, 2017
What?! Nobody questioning his character! He can't coach! Or recruit. He get no kids in his own city. He did a bad job not a bad guy
— 247 tobacco rd (@247tobaccoroad) December 14, 2017
One tweet recalled Charlotte’s longtime rivalry with Cincinnati during the Bob Huggins (now at West Virginia) era.
You remember how loud it was at Charlotte and how Huggins hated coming in there. Now local high schools have better attendance. #firejudyrose
— _ (@bdowless) December 14, 2017
Price’s firing comes two weeks after Charlotte decided to stick with football coach Brad Lambert, whose 49ers just completed a 1-11 season. Lambert – Charlotte’s only football coach since the program’s founding five years ago – has compiled a 17-41 record.
Though Lambert didn’t get fired, three of his assistants were. Gone are defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt, quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen and receivers coach Damien Gary. Also, offensive coordinator Greg Adkins was demoted; he’ll coach the offensive line and running backs.
Though the sports and circumstances differ greatly, the contrast between the treatment of the two coaches didn’t go unnoticed on Twitter.
Mark Price had a .417 win ratio and gets fired. Brad Lambert has a .293 and is retained. I would question who is doing the math to justify retaining/firing coaches at UNCC #FireJudyRose
— Garrett White (@GarrettWhiteNC) December 14, 2017
Who needs fans?#FIREJUDYROSE pic.twitter.com/A4xnocriGu
— tasheets (@tasheets) December 8, 2017
@unccharlotte @Charlotte49ers The @Charlotte49erFB team didn't play with any intensity either. No emotion on sidelines, no energy. @coach_lambert49 had a full 5 seasons to do something, culmination with a 1-11 disaster, yet HE gets to stay around. #FireJudyRose https://t.co/f1e9p3spQT
— Howard Jacobs (@fortmill49er) December 15, 2017
U fire Price while we need a new AD and football coach, where's the chancellor @Charlotte49ers #FireJudyRose
— TroyJay (@mofunk1) December 14, 2017
I would like to know the whole story. There is no logic to fire Price (and Wallerstedt) while retaining Lambert. This situation has no hope improving until we address the true cause of this dumpster fire and #firejudyrose.
— chidave (@dplindner49) December 14, 2017
It is obvious that Mark Price hasn’t got the job done. But how did he only get just over two seasons, yet we keep Brad Lambert, who is the only football coach we have ever had and will be entering his 6th season next year and also hasn’t done squat? #FireJudyRose
— Nelson Royster (@nelroy78) December 14, 2017
Lol I believe they got rid of the wrong coach. Mark price who was tasked with a rebuild, in the beginning of this 3rd year, vs 5 years and 17-42 with a 1-11 season in the fifth year. This is a joke. #FireJudyRose #FirePhilDubois
— Lance Littmann (@iRuniRuniRun) December 14, 2017
I have been to almost every @49ersBasketball game in the past two years. 1-11 Lambert stays and 4-time NBA All-Star @Mark25Price goes. This is wrong #FireJudyRose
— Tommy McCullough (@TomassoLP) December 14, 2017
As one would expect, Thursday’s firing generated a wave of negative tweets, either taking aim at Price or Rose or others. Among the tweets calling foul in some way:
Well, thought that some of the fire Judy Rose content would settle down over Christmas break. Charlotte 49ers: hold my beer. Let’s Fire Mark Price. Hey @Charlotte49ers #FIREJUDYROSE
— Drew lewis (@ItsDrew_Werd) December 14, 2017
Judy Rose realizing that firing Mark Price only made people wanna fire her more #FireJudyRose pic.twitter.com/JANEExy4fl
— Barstool 49ers (@Barstool49ers) December 14, 2017
@unccharlotte #FireJudyRose keep 1-11 football coach. Fire @Mark25Price ? pic.twitter.com/CCOwd02CMz
— Johnny Morgan (@mrJohnnymojo) December 15, 2017
Still, many on Twitter used the moment to go all in on a positive note, thanking Price for his work and wishing him well.
#TBT to a dream coming true. Pretty confident I’m not the only one that @Mark25Price has left an impact on. #legend (Thanks @laurapricey ) pic.twitter.com/CoLqVDihUj
— Nolan (@Thee_Decider) December 15, 2017
All of Cleveland wishes you the best!
— J F Blasier (@JFBlasier) December 15, 2017
Would love to see you in Ohio!
God closes one door & opens another.
@Mark25Price - You are a HOF college basketball player, a HOF @NBA player, and a stand up guy.
— Rodney Graves (@rodneyfgraves) December 14, 2017
I truly wish everything had worked out with you as the HC of @49ersBasketball but unfortunately you were put into a near impossible situation.
Thank you for your service.
Want to personally thank @Mark25Price for being an absolute class act for the Charlotte 49ers. Appreciate the time you spent with the team and with the fans as well. Niner nation is shocked, you will be missed! pic.twitter.com/iLyYVahORc
— Casey S (@kc_atbat) December 14, 2017
original splash bros @SteveKerr @Mark25Price pic.twitter.com/HMJkuz2Ox2
— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) December 14, 2017
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This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 10:13 PM.