The University of Kansas has suspended longtime head baseball coach Ritch Price after he was arrested Saturday for suspicion of driving under the influence.
Price has been at the helm of KU baseball since his hiring in July of 2002. He will be suspended from all team activities for the next two weeks and associate head coach Ryan Graves will serve as acting head coach during Price's suspension.
“I would like to apologize to my family, players, KU administrators, alumni, coaches, staff, as well as our donors for embarrassing them, the University of Kansas, our entire athletic department and myself,” Price said in a statement that was carried by The Topeka Capital-Journal. “As I shared with my team, the consequences of my actions on Saturday night could have jeopardized members of our community and was irresponsible. I have always held myself to the same high standards as those of my players and take full responsibility for my actions.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure that this type of behavior will never happen again. I love the University of Kansas, our athletic department and baseball program.”
Athletic director Jeff Long met with players Monday afternoon to inform them of the news.
“While I have tremendous respect and appreciation for Coach Price and the manner in which he conducts our baseball program, as well as the leadership he provides our young men, in this instance he failed to meet our expectations,” Long said. “Coach Price expressed to me his sincere remorse for putting himself in that position and the negative impact it will have on the program. I am confident he will learn from this dangerous lapse in judgement and so will his current and future baseball student-athletes.”
