Ron Prince
Encyclopedia
Ron Prince is an American football
coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts
of the NFL
. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University
. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA
Division I-Bowl Subdivision in 2008. He was terminated from his post at the end of the 2008 season.
Bill Snyder
at Kansas State following the 2005 season
. When he started his first season at Kansas State, in 2006, he was 36 years old and the third-youngest head coach in the Division I-Bowl Subdivision.
During the 2006 season, Prince led Kansas State to its first winning record since 2003
with a 7–6 mark, as well as a berth in the inaugural Texas Bowl
. The hallmark win of the regular season was a 45–42 upset of then #4 Texas on November 11, 2006. Kansas State lost the 2006 Texas Bowl
to #16 Rutgers
, 37–10.
In Prince's second season, Kansas State slipped to a 5–7 record, including a four-game losing streak to end the year. He also led the Wildcats to their first home loss against Kansas in over a decade.
On National Signing Day
in February 2008, 19 junior college
recruits signed to play football at Kansas State, although only 15 of them were able to enroll in the fall. As a result, Kansas State's 2008 recruiting class reportedly contains more junior college players than any other class ever compiled by current BCS
teams. Some have criticized this as "panicking" to get good players, while others have praised Prince's moves, pointing out his predecessor Bill Snyder
's success with using junior college players.
At the beginning of Prince's third season, on August 7, 2008, Ron Prince agreed to a new contract through the 2012 season. The deal was retroactive to January 1, 2008, and ran through December 31, 2012, replacing the original contract signed in December 2005. Prince's base salary for 2008 was $143,000 with a total guaranteed package of $1.1 million, which also included payments from endorsements such as television, radio, internet, personal appearances and apparel. Prince could have earned up to an additional $950,000 per year in performance-based incentives.
On November 5, 2008, Prince was fired from his position as head coach. He received a $1.2 million buyout and an additional $150,000 of a $250,000 longevity bonus.
In 2009, Prince was rehired by the University of Virginia as special teams coach.
Before coaching at Kansas State University, Prince served for three seasons as offensive coordinator under Al Groh
at the University of Virginia
, and for a total of five years as the Cavaliers' offensive line coach. Prior to first stint at Virginia, Prince also served as an assistant coach at South Carolina State, James Madison
and Cornell.
The agreement was entered into separately by Krause on the same day that Prince signed a five-year contract extension, on August 7, 2008. The agreement was allegedly discovered on May 11, 2009, as the university responded to "routine informational requests" for a lawsuit involving former coach Tim Tibesar. University president Jon Wefald
denied any prior knowledge of this agreement and immediately called for Krause to resign, which he did, effective May 20, 2009.
In a subsequent release, interim Kansas State athletic director Jim Epps stated: "On May 11, 2009, I learned of a secret deferred compensation agreement that Bob Krause apparently negotiated with Ron Prince's attorney. This alleged deal was made without the knowledge of anyone else in the athletics department, including its attorney. This deal was apparently constructed as a further supplement to the buyout provision contained in Prince's employment contract. I do not know why any additional supplement was justified, or why Bob Krause concealed this agreement from everyone until it was inadvertently discovered last week."
On August 10, 2009, attorneys for Prince filed a counterclaim against Kansas State Athletics seeking $3 million in punitive damages. The filings claim that Wefald and other high-ranking members of the athletic department were aware at all times of the agreement. The claim also contended that Krause directed the department's attorney to reword the public contract to allow for a supplemental buyout.
Kansas State University announced on May 6, 2011 that an agreement for settlement between Prince and K-State Athletics, Inc. and the University had been reached. K-State Athletics, Inc. will pay one lump sum of $1.65 million to Prince's company, In Pursuit of Perfection, LLC, on or before May 25, 2011. This is in addition to the $1.2 million Prince had already received per his employment contract, for a total buyout payment of $2.85 million. K-State President Kirk Schulz
stated: "We are pleased to have this matter resolved. We appreciate the work that our University counsel has provided during this process and can now maintain focus on moving forward as a University community." K-State Athletics, Inc. reported paying $395,000 in external legal fees during the dispute. The University made the agreement public as a news release and was bound to provide this statement: "Neither the University nor K-State Athletics contends or believes that in negotiating his employment agreement or the MOU, Coach Prince engaged in any wrongful or unethical conduct. Discovery has demonstrated that this situation was not of Coach Prince’s making."
announced the hiring of Prince as the assistant offensive line coach.
, he was raised in Junction City, Kansas
, a town 20 minutes west of Kansas State's campus in Manhattan, Kansas
. He was raised by the late Ernest and Georgeanne Prince. He is married to the former Zoe Ahern of Valhalla, New York and they have three sons, Deuce, James, and John, and a daughter, Grace.
Prince attended Junction City High School, where he graduated in 1988. He began his college football career at Dodge City Community College
, then transferred to Appalachian State University
, where he graduated and played on the offensive line under coach Jerry Moore
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I-Bowl Subdivision in 2008. He was terminated from his post at the end of the 2008 season.
College coaching career
Prince succeeded head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder is the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to...
at Kansas State following the 2005 season
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
. When he started his first season at Kansas State, in 2006, he was 36 years old and the third-youngest head coach in the Division I-Bowl Subdivision.
During the 2006 season, Prince led Kansas State to its first winning record since 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
with a 7–6 mark, as well as a berth in the inaugural Texas Bowl
Texas Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, formerly known as the Texas Bowl, is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005...
. The hallmark win of the regular season was a 45–42 upset of then #4 Texas on November 11, 2006. Kansas State lost the 2006 Texas Bowl
2006 Texas Bowl
The 2006 Texas Bowl, part of the 2006 college football season, was played on December 26, 2006 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game featured the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Kansas State Wildcats....
to #16 Rutgers
2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
The 2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights campaign was considered by many to be the breakout season for the Rutgers football team. Led by Draddy Trophy winning senior fullback Brian Leonard, sophomore quarterback Mike Teel, sophomore halfback Ray Rice, sophomore wide receiver Tiquan Underwood, junior...
, 37–10.
In Prince's second season, Kansas State slipped to a 5–7 record, including a four-game losing streak to end the year. He also led the Wildcats to their first home loss against Kansas in over a decade.
On National Signing Day
National Signing Day
National Signing Day most commonly refers to a day in February, usually on the first Wednesday of that month, which is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the NCAA, the main governing body for...
in February 2008, 19 junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
recruits signed to play football at Kansas State, although only 15 of them were able to enroll in the fall. As a result, Kansas State's 2008 recruiting class reportedly contains more junior college players than any other class ever compiled by current BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
teams. Some have criticized this as "panicking" to get good players, while others have praised Prince's moves, pointing out his predecessor Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder is the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to...
's success with using junior college players.
At the beginning of Prince's third season, on August 7, 2008, Ron Prince agreed to a new contract through the 2012 season. The deal was retroactive to January 1, 2008, and ran through December 31, 2012, replacing the original contract signed in December 2005. Prince's base salary for 2008 was $143,000 with a total guaranteed package of $1.1 million, which also included payments from endorsements such as television, radio, internet, personal appearances and apparel. Prince could have earned up to an additional $950,000 per year in performance-based incentives.
On November 5, 2008, Prince was fired from his position as head coach. He received a $1.2 million buyout and an additional $150,000 of a $250,000 longevity bonus.
In 2009, Prince was rehired by the University of Virginia as special teams coach.
Before coaching at Kansas State University, Prince served for three seasons as offensive coordinator under Al Groh
Al Groh
Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...
at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, and for a total of five years as the Cavaliers' offensive line coach. Prior to first stint at Virginia, Prince also served as an assistant coach at South Carolina State, James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and Cornell.
K-State buyout
On May 20, 2009, Kansas State University and its athletic corporation filed suit to have an allegedly secret agreement between Prince and former athletic director Bob Krause declared invalid. Krause negotiated the agreement in 2008 with Prince's attorney, Ohio sports agent Neil Cornrich. The agreement required Kansas State to pay a total of $3.2 million in three deferred payments to a corporation called In Pursuit of Perfection, LLC, if the school terminated Prince before December 31, 2008. The payments were scheduled to be made in 2015, 2016, and 2020.The agreement was entered into separately by Krause on the same day that Prince signed a five-year contract extension, on August 7, 2008. The agreement was allegedly discovered on May 11, 2009, as the university responded to "routine informational requests" for a lawsuit involving former coach Tim Tibesar. University president Jon Wefald
Jon Wefald
Jon Michael Wefald is an American educator and served as the twelfth President of Kansas State University.-Biography:...
denied any prior knowledge of this agreement and immediately called for Krause to resign, which he did, effective May 20, 2009.
In a subsequent release, interim Kansas State athletic director Jim Epps stated: "On May 11, 2009, I learned of a secret deferred compensation agreement that Bob Krause apparently negotiated with Ron Prince's attorney. This alleged deal was made without the knowledge of anyone else in the athletics department, including its attorney. This deal was apparently constructed as a further supplement to the buyout provision contained in Prince's employment contract. I do not know why any additional supplement was justified, or why Bob Krause concealed this agreement from everyone until it was inadvertently discovered last week."
On August 10, 2009, attorneys for Prince filed a counterclaim against Kansas State Athletics seeking $3 million in punitive damages. The filings claim that Wefald and other high-ranking members of the athletic department were aware at all times of the agreement. The claim also contended that Krause directed the department's attorney to reword the public contract to allow for a supplemental buyout.
Kansas State University announced on May 6, 2011 that an agreement for settlement between Prince and K-State Athletics, Inc. and the University had been reached. K-State Athletics, Inc. will pay one lump sum of $1.65 million to Prince's company, In Pursuit of Perfection, LLC, on or before May 25, 2011. This is in addition to the $1.2 million Prince had already received per his employment contract, for a total buyout payment of $2.85 million. K-State President Kirk Schulz
Kirk Schulz
Kirk Herman Schulz is an American educator and 13th president of Kansas State University. -Biography:Schulz was born in Portsmouth but raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He graduated in 1981 from . Schulz attended Old Dominion University for three years before transferring to Virginia Tech in 1984. ...
stated: "We are pleased to have this matter resolved. We appreciate the work that our University counsel has provided during this process and can now maintain focus on moving forward as a University community." K-State Athletics, Inc. reported paying $395,000 in external legal fees during the dispute. The University made the agreement public as a news release and was bound to provide this statement: "Neither the University nor K-State Athletics contends or believes that in negotiating his employment agreement or the MOU, Coach Prince engaged in any wrongful or unethical conduct. Discovery has demonstrated that this situation was not of Coach Prince’s making."
Professional coaching
On March 21, 2010 The Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
announced the hiring of Prince as the assistant offensive line coach.
Personal information
Although Prince was born in NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, he was raised in Junction City, Kansas
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
, a town 20 minutes west of Kansas State's campus in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
. He was raised by the late Ernest and Georgeanne Prince. He is married to the former Zoe Ahern of Valhalla, New York and they have three sons, Deuce, James, and John, and a daughter, Grace.
Prince attended Junction City High School, where he graduated in 1988. He began his college football career at Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College is located on the Central High Plains in Ford County, southwest Kansas.-Campus:For 22 years, the College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 First Avenue. By 1957, it had grown large enough to require a move to a different...
, then transferred to Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
, where he graduated and played on the offensive line under coach Jerry Moore
Jerry Moore
Gerald Hundley "Jerry" Moore is the current head football coach of the Appalachian State University Mountaineers located in the town of Boone in Watauga County, North Carolina. He has filled the position since 1989. Moore has had a winning record in 19 out of the last 20 seasons. He led the...
.
Head coaching record
Record against Big 12 teams
| Team | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor Bears Baylor Bears Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference... |
1 | 1 |
| Colorado Buffaloes Colorado Buffaloes The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993... |
2 | 1 |
| Iowa State Cyclones Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports... |
2 | 1 |
| Kansas Jayhawks Kansas Jayhawks The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference... |
0 | 3 |
| Missouri Tigers Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States... |
0 | 3 |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference... |
0 | 3 |
| Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,... |
0 | 1 |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder... |
1 | 1 |
| Texas Longhorns | 2 | 0 |
| Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports... |
1 | 0 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports... |
0 | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 15 |