The University of Northern Iowa’s women’s soccer coach, James Price, has decided not to return to the team after the closing of this year’s season. Instead he will be starting up the men and women’s soccer program at Hawkeye Community College.

Price has been the UNI Women’s soccer head coach since the 2009 season. But this summer a new opportunity presented itself.

“They [the personnel at Hawkeye] contacted me this past summer to get advice on how to start the program,” says Price. “After meeting with them briefly, the more I found out about what they were trying to do, the more interested I became, and then one thing kind of led to another.”

Price will be taking up the position, effective immediately after UNI’s season comes to a close.

“You know, it’s a change,” said Price when asked about why he took the new position. “I’ve been here at UNI for six years and that’s been great, but it’s a new challenge, a different kind of challenge.”

When Price first arrived at UNI in 2009, the soccer program was struggling. However, the main reason he was attracted to this job was because of the program’s potential.

“There were other teams like women’s volleyball, men’s football and basketball teams that were doing well,” said Price, “and I saw the soccer program had good potential to work up to the level of those teams.”

In each of his first four years, Price led the Panthers to winning progresses and made it possible for UNI to host its first ever MVC tournament game in 2012.

When he first announced his departure in August, it came as quite a shock to the team.

“At the beginning of the season, we knew his contract was ending soon,” said junior midfielder, Camille Dela Cruz, “but we didn’t know that he’d actually be done after this year.”

Senior defender, Maddie Welch was sad to see him go, “Coach Price has taken this UNI soccer program a long way and it is unfortunate to see him go,” said Maddie Welch, senior defender. “I believe Hawkeye is lucky to get him though, and I know that he will start up a great program there. I wish him the best of luck in his new opportunity!”

Coach Price plans to begin his new position in Waterloo starting Nov. 9 of this year. To put it in his words, he will be “hitting the ground running.” He plans to focus on the recruitment process as soon as he arrives. Once those recruits start forming his teams, the next step is getting involved with the community.

“It’s one thing to have a soccer team but to form a soccer program is another,” said Price. “It’s doing things away from the field, like getting involved with the community through youth camps and helping support soccer clubs in the area.”

However, Coach Price has expressed nothing but support for the future of UNI soccer.

“I will be watching from afar,” Price said. “And I’m excited to see what the future holds for the UNI soccer program.”

The Panthers will travel to Loyola for their last regular season game on Oct. 29. The MVC tournament is shortly to follow with the first round of semi-finals starting on Nov. 1.