April 20, 2024
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Curtis Price steps away as Marian Central AD to become the boss at St. Rita

By Joe Stevenson

Marian Central boys basketball coach Curtis Price was Northwest Herald Boys Basketball Coach of the Year here in 2014 after the Hurricanes won the Class 3A Woodstock Regional title. Price went on to become Marian's athletic director for six years and now is leaving to take the AD job at his alma mater, Chicago St. Rita. (John Konstantaras)

The only thing that could drag Curtis Price away from Marian Central was wild horses.

Price, who has worked at Marian for 18 years as assistant coach, head coach and now athletic director, is leaving the school he loves for the only job he would have taken.

Price is the new athletic director at Chicago St. Rita, the high school from which he graduated in 1988 before he went to play basketball at DePaul. His deep love for the Mustangs pulled him back home.

“There’s a pride we have there in St. Rita High School that is a huge draw,” Price said. “[The decision] was extremely tough. I love the kids and coaches at Marian. I have great relationships at Marian. There are some things that I didn’t complete that I didn’t get a chance to finish. But I always told myself if I was going anywhere, I was going home. St. Rita’s the only other place I ever thought about working at.

“I thought I was going to retire as athletic director at Marian Central. I thought that was going to be my place to retire. St. Rita reached out and asked me if I’d be interested. That’s my home. Of course, when your home comes calling, you’re going to listen.”

Price started at Marian as an assistant boys basketball coach in 1997. After five seasons at Harvard, he returned to Marian as assistant boys coach and took over as head coach from 2008-16. He coached another season in 2018 while he was athletic director.

Price and his wife Michelle’s three children (C.J., 2011; Alivia, 2019; and Madelyn, 2021) all graduated from Marian. Michelle works as a nursing assistant in pediatrics at Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital. They will continue living in Woodstock, and Price will commute to St. Rita.

“I’m going to stay here in Woodstock,” Price said. “My wife loves her job, and it would be selfish of me to take that away from her by moving our family away. We’re going to stay in Woodstock for now, and we’ll see how it goes. We may move closer to I-90 later on. She really loves her job.

“I don’t have to be [at St. Rita] until 10:30 a.m. so I won’t be stuck in traffic. That helps out a ton. I have people in the city, my sister, a sister-in-law, friends, coaches, who told me if I need to stay some place they’ll open their doors for me to stay if I don’t want to drive back here.”

Price knows football coach Todd Kuska, who also went to St. Rita, and has become friends with boys basketball coach Roshawn Russell.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity Marian Central has given to me to represent them as athletic director,” Price said. “I have nothing but great things to say about their school and community. I’m going to be a fan for them. I’ll still pull for the kids, the coaches, the staff there, that they can keep growing Marian Central.”