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Former UTEP Football coach Mike Price rips ‘Fire Floyd’ sign away from fans

By Alex Nicolas
UTEP v Texas Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

I literally could not believe my wandering eyes at the end of the UTEP-Northwestern State basketball game on Saturday at the Don Haskins Center.

A few seconds after the buzzer sounded signaling UTEP’s third straight loss. I look up to my right while heading to the post game presser and see former UTEP football coach Mike Price quickly charging down the Section U stairs and violently ripped the ‘F’ off a fan made single lettered sign that read ‘Fire Floyd’ between a group of people.

After ripping the ‘F’ in Fire away Price proceeded to push the fan and yelled something I could not make out from the press row area right next to the UTEP pep band before a red-faced Price was escorted out by what appeared to be uniformed UTEP police officers who swiftly broke up scene.

That protesting fan was none other than UTEP super fan Louis Cepeda who is a frequent Miner Rush reader, he gave us his description of what went down and from what I was seeing after the game.

“We were just holding our signs up in protest of where the program is at right now (Under Floyd and Stull) and then an older guy that turned out to be Mike Price came from behind and ripped our sign down. He got in my face then started yelling "you guys don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" Security arrived seconds after this happened and told him to leave. He went up the stairs and disappeared.”

Price was sitting next to UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull the entire game on the other side of the arena, directly behind the UTEP bench. So basically Price made a full trek around the Don in the closing seconds of the game to make whatever point the ole’ ball coach was trying to get across to UTEP fans protesting.

I’ve personally seen Price around El Paso quite a few times over the past few months as its rumored he “winters in El Paso” and is still an avid supporter of UTEP.

To say the least, it was a wild incident, and Mike Price whether he was wrong or right, has some passion for UTEP athletics along with fans who are clearly frustrated.