Mark Price agrees to be new head coach at UNC Charlotte

The longtime NBA assistant is moving to the college ranks for the first time to try to turn around the 49ers.

Former NBA star and current Charlotte Hornets assistant Mark Price has agreed to become the new head coach at UNC Charlotte, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN. The 51-year-old will move to the college ranks for the first time after spending the last eight years as an assistant in the NBA.

Price, who starred at Georgia Tech before becoming one of the NBA's great shooters, joined the Hornets' coaching staff in 2013 after the team hired Steve Clifford. He's spent time working with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the former No. 2 overall pick, on his shooting ability.

Before being hired by the Hornets, Price also spent time with the Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies. He got his coaching start in Australia in 2006, but lasted less than two years there before returning to the NBA.

With the move from Charlotte's NBA team to its college team, Price will replace Alan Major, who parted ways with the school last week after a five-year stint. The 49ers didn't find much success under Major, posting a 75-81 record during his time with the school, a far cry from the program's glory years in the 20th century.

So now Price will be tasked with getting Charlotte back to national prominence, and that'll be a tall task in a crowded North Carolina college hoops scene. Recruiting against the likes of Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest will be tough, but it's possible Price has the experience, accolades and charisma to turn things around.

Price played for 13 years in the NBA, earning four All-Star appearances, and his No. 25 is retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He received a five-year offer from the school on Tuesday, per Goodman, and if he's getting that kind of commitment, he'll presumably be given a few years to see out his vision.

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