Ron Prince facts for kids
Prince in 2006
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| Position: | Tackle |
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 18, 1969 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Junction City (KS) |
| College: | Appalachian State |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NCAA: 18–27 (.400) |
| Postseason: | Bowl games: 0–1 (.000) |
| Career: | NCAA: 18–28 (.391) |
Ronald Dale Prince (born September 18, 1969) is an American football coach. He has coached both college and professional teams. He was the head coach for Kansas State University from 2006 to 2008 and Howard University in 2019. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL).
Contents
Ron Prince's Coaching Journey
Early College Coaching Roles
From 1993 to 2002, Ron Prince worked as an offensive line coach at several colleges. These included Alabama A&M, South Carolina State, James Madison, Cornell, and Virginia. From 2003 to 2005, he became the offensive coordinator at Virginia.
Leading the Kansas State Wildcats
Ron Prince became the head coach at Kansas State after the 2005 season. When he started in 2006, he was 36 years old. This made him one of the youngest head coaches in college football's top division.
First Season Success (2006)
In 2006, Prince led Kansas State to a winning record of 7 wins and 6 losses. This was their first winning season since 2003. They also played in the first-ever Texas Bowl. A big win that year was a 45–42 upset against the #4 ranked Texas team. However, they lost to their rival, Kansas, and then to Rutgers in the Texas Bowl.
Later Seasons at Kansas State (2007-2008)
In 2007, Kansas State's record dropped to 5 wins and 7 losses. They ended the year with a four-game losing streak. They also lost to Kansas again.
Before the 2008 season, Kansas State signed many players from junior colleges. Some people thought this was a good strategy, while others were unsure. On August 7, 2008, Prince signed a new contract to stay until 2012.
During the 2008 season, the team had another 5–7 record. They lost to Kansas for the third time under Prince. On November 5, 2008, university officials announced that Prince would not return as head coach in 2009. He received a payment of $1.2 million when he left.
Agreement Dispute and Settlement
After Prince left Kansas State, there was a disagreement about an extra payment. The university said they found a secret agreement for more money. They believed this deal was made without their full knowledge.
After some discussion, Kansas State University and Ron Prince reached an agreement on May 6, 2011. The university paid an additional $1.65 million to Prince's company. This brought his total payment to $2.85 million. Both sides were happy to resolve the matter.
Other College Coaching Roles
After leaving Kansas State, Prince returned to the University of Virginia in 2009. He worked there as a special teams coach for one season.
In 2013, he became the offensive coordinator for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He stayed in that role for one season. In 2018, Prince worked as an offensive analyst for the Michigan Wolverines.
Coaching at Howard University
In December 2018, Ron Prince was hired as the head coach for the Howard Bison. In November 2019, he was placed on leave by the university. This happened after concerns were raised about his coaching style. The team had a record of 1 win and 8 losses at that time. On December 6, 2019, he resigned from his position.
Professional Football Coaching
Indianapolis Colts
On March 21, 2010, Ron Prince joined the Indianapolis Colts as an assistant offensive line coach. He worked with the team for two seasons. On January 31, 2012, he was no longer with the Colts.
Jacksonville Jaguars
In February 2012, Prince was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He worked as an assistant offensive line coach for one season.
Detroit Lions
After coaching at Rutgers, Prince joined the Detroit Lions on January 18, 2014. He was the assistant head coach and tight ends coach. He had previously worked with the Lions' head coach, Jim Caldwell, at the Indianapolis Colts. Prince was no longer with the Detroit Lions after January 1, 2018.
About Ron Prince's Life
Ron Prince was born in Omaha, Nebraska. However, he grew up in Junction City, Kansas, which is close to Kansas State University. His parents were Ernest and Georgeanne Prince. He has three sons and one daughter.
Prince went to Junction City High School. He then played college football at Dodge City Community College. Later, he transferred to Appalachian State University. There, he played on the offensive line.
Head Coaching Records
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12 Conference) (2006–2008) | |||||||||
| 2006 | Kansas State | 7–6 | 4–4 | T–2nd (North) | L Texas | ||||
| 2007 | Kansas State | 5–7 | 3–5 | 4th (North) | |||||
| 2008 | Kansas State | 5–7 | 2–6 | T–4th (North) | |||||
| Kansas State: | 17–20 | 9–15 | |||||||
| Howard Bison (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (2019) | |||||||||
| 2019 | Howard | 1–8 | 1–4 | ||||||
| Howard: | 1–8 | 1–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 18–28 | ||||||||
