J.C. Price

Coaching Highlights

• Price is in his third season under Coach Brent Pry as associate head coach/defensive line coach, his eighth overall season in Blacksburg.
• Price mentored Antwaun Powell-Ryland in 2023. Powell-Ryland led the Hokies with nine and a half sacks, ranking second in the ACC, tied for 14th in the country.
• As a unit, Price's line recorded 55 tackles for loss during the 2023 season.
• A team captain and a third-team All-America selection for the Hokies as a senior in 1995, Price returned to Blacksburg as co-defensive line coach/defensive recruiting coordinator in 2021. On Nov. 16, 2021, he was named as the Hokies' interim head coach.
• The Dunkirk, Maryland native is back at his alma mater after spending nine seasons at Marshall University, serving as co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach (2019-20).
• Named the Conference USA Recruiter of the Year in 2015, Price was part of seven Marshall squads that earned bowl berths, the 2014 Conference USA championship, as well three C-USA East Division titles.
• Marshall led the nation in scoring defense (13.0 ppg) in 2020, while ranking second in total defense (279.4 ypg), fourth in rushing defense (95.5 ypg) and 11th in pass defense (183.9 ypg) en route to a berth in the Conference USA Championship Game.  
• The Herd earned bowl appearances in each of Price’s final four seasons at Marshall. The 2018 defense ranked eighth in the nation, racking up 42.0 sacks.  
• Price was named The Conference USA Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com for his contribution to the Thundering Herd’s 2016 recruiting class.
• Marshall’s 2015 squad went 10-3 and finished the season with a St. Petersburg Bowl win as the defense totaled 30.0 sacks and 101 QB hurries. Price helped develop DT Jarquez Samuel into an All-Conference USA second-team selection. 
• The Herd won the 2014 Conference USA title, finishing the season with a 13-1 record with their only setback coming in a 67-66 OT loss vs. Western Kentucky (11/28/14). Marshall’s defense racked up 38.0 sacks that season to tie for 16th among FBS squads. 
• With Price coaching Marshall’s defensive tackles, The Herd went 10-4 in 2013 and reached the Conference USA Championship Game.  
• Price joined Marshall after an eight-season stint at James Madison University (2004-11). The Dukes won the 2004 FCS National Championship and made the FCS Playoffs on four other occasions during his tenure. 
• Among notable star pupils at JMU, Price coached DE Arthur Moats who won the Buck Buchanan Award in 2009 as the nation’s top FCS defensive player before enjoying a successful eight-year NFL career. 
• Thanks to Price’s defensive line, JMU led the nation in sacks twice (2004, 2006) and finished in the top three 10 times. The Dukes’ 57.0 sacks in 2004 were a single-season FCS record. JMU produced an FCS-best 47.0 sacks in 2006.
• During his tenure as a graduate assistant at Tech (2002-03), Price worked hands on with future NFL performers such as DE Darryl Tapp and DT Jonathan Lewis. 
• Price is married to the former Jenny Root, who was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. A standout for the women’s basketball program, her 1,582 career points still rank as the fifth-highest total in Hokies’ history.

Prominent Pupils
DE    DARRYL TAPP    D2-2006 – Seattle
Virginia Tech    An All-America selection in 2005, went on to play in 165 regular season games (39 starts) in 12 NFL seasons. 

DE    ARTHUR MOATS    D6-2010 – Buffalo  
James Madison    Played in 121 regular season games (45 starts) with Bills (2010-13) and Steelers (2014-17). 2009 Buck Buchanan Award winner.

DT    JONATHAN LEWIS    D6-2006 – Arizona
Virginia Tech    All-ACC honorable mention pick. Produced 134 career tackles, 25.5 TFL and 11.5 sacks from 2002-05.  

DE    RYAN BEE    FA-2019 – Washington
Marshall    Posted 18.5 sacks, two FFs and three FRs (2015-18).   

DE     JAMES ROUSE    FA-2015 – Houston   
Marshall    Racked up 102 tackles, 25.0 TFL and 8.5 sacks from 2010-14. 

DL     JARQUEZ SAMUEL    
Marshall    Registered 105 tackles, 17.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks from 2012-15. 

DL     KEVIN WINSTON    
James Madison    Played with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 2007.  

DL     JOHN BARANOWSKI    
James Madison    Posted 78 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 10.5 sacks (2006-07). 

DL    TY TYLER    
Marshall    Produced 21.0 TFL and 13.5 sacks (2016-18).
  
DT    J.D. SKOLNITSKY    FA-2009 – Washington
James Madison    Posted 7.5 career sacks at JMU and spent time on NFL rosters with Washington (2009) and the Colts (2010). 

Playing Highlights

• A third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 1996 NFL Draft. 
• Spent time with the Arizona Cardinals in 1996-97 where his defensive line coach was Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Joe Greene before a back injury curtailed his playing career. 
• A four-year starter who captained Tech’s 1995 BIG EAST championship team. After beginning that 1995 season with an 0-2 record, the Hokies rattled off 10 straight wins culminating with a 28-10 win vs. Texas in the Sugar Bowl.  
• Earned third-team All-America honors from AP following the 1995 season, as well as first-team All-BIG EAST honors after recording 104 tackles and a team-high 15.0 TFL, as well as 8.0 sacks.   
• In Price’s final three seasons, Tech went 27-9 with two bowl wins. 
• Played in 41 career games for the Hokies, finishing his career with 256 tackles (125 solo), 30.0 TFL and 17.0 sacks (-118.0 yards).  
• A second-team All-Metro selection by the Washington Post as a senior at Northern High School. Was named the Calvert County’s most outstanding athlete and was the conference player of the year. 
• Also played center on his prep basketball squad that was the state runner-up.