The return of Jonathan “Gabby” Price as Bangor High School’s head football coach has created an air of excitement and optimism among the Rams’ faithful.

In nine seasons as Bangor’s boss from 1976-84, Price guided the Rams to a 58-27-1 record and two state championships. During his tenure, he helped develop an aura of pride, confidence, and superiority around his program.

Having been out of coaching for seven years, the 42-year-old Price may have made some subtle adjustments in his approach. Yet, he hopes to again build Bangor back into a perennial contender.

Having completed two weeks of preseason practice, Price is optimistic and enthusiastic about returning as Bangor’s head coach.

“The kids seem to be the same, they’re just terrific,” Price said. “It’s been exciting. We couldn’t ask for any more than they’ve given us. They’ve been attentive, they’ve worked hard, and they’ve cared about each other. They like expectations, they like to know where they stand, and they like to have people care about them.”

Some of Price’s former players believe his fiery coaching style can once again bring the Rams back into gridiron prominence.

There are many components to Price’s success formula, but the general theme of his coaching centers around providing players with a worthwhile competitive experience while helping them learn some valuable lessons of life.

Four former Bangor standouts recently gave their impressions of Price, the coach, as he enters the second chapter of his coaching career. All agreed that, first and foremost, Price is genuinely concerned about each of his players.

“He cares about people and he wants to create good people,” said Kevin Stevenson of Bangor, a member of the ’82 state title team and the president of Competitive Edge Marketing. “I think his goal is to make you a better person, not just a good football player.”

Bangor High football has always been important to Price, and he strives to make sure his players treat their opportunity to play for the Rams as a privilege.

“You were taught how to conduct yourself on and off the field,” said Bangor chiropractor Tom Vanidestine, who starred for Bangor under Price from 1976-78. “There was a certain way we were supposed to represent Bangor.”

Price is perhaps best known for his intensity on the sidelines. He is demanding of his players, because he expects the same kind of all-out effort and commitment from himself.

“He didn’t care if you were a captain, a three-year starter, or a kid who didn’t play much,” Stevenson said. “If you weren’t giving all you had, he told you.”

A strict disciplinarian and taskmaster, Price can be intimidating.

“He was quite intense, kind of intimidating to most players,” said 1979 Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Pat Philippon of Glenburn, now a navigator in the Maine Air National Guard. “A bit of it was fear, too. He was a great motivator.”

John Fahey of Brewer, who works at Hewes Equipment Co. and played for Price in 1976 and ’77, compared Price to coaching legend Vince Lombardi.

“It was brutal,” Fahey said, “I have never met anyone more intense or focused on one thing in my life. There were so many times I just wanted to walk off the field. You know deep down inside the guy’s got a heart of gold, but at the same time you wonder how much you can take.”

Price has combined his bulldog coaching style with his knowledge of each team member’s personality to motivate his players and get the maximum performance out of each athlete.

“He has a knack for finding the right button to push for each individual to take them to the highest level,” Vanidestine said.

In spite of his hard-driving style, Price commands respect because he is always fair. Those who have played for him hold him in the highest esteem.

“He was a great motivator. He got the most out of every guy that he possibly could,” Philippon said. “He gave everybody a chance. He was fair.”

“He has a reason behind everything and it’s just to make you a better person,” Stevenson said. “There’s this aura around him. You respect him and you’d basically give everything you have for him.”

Price, who has always given his players the credit for Bangor’s successes, has surrounded himself with knowledgeable assistant coaches. Having a cohesive coaching staff enables Price to have a close rapport with his players.

“It was like a big family and he tried to create that atmosphere,” Stevenson said. “The big thing was people caring for each other. You go through the good times and the bad times together.”

The lessons Price teaches on the football field transcend the game. Some former players still look back to their experience at Bangor High School and are able to apply it to their daily lives.

“It’s an experience you can always go back to,” Stevenson said. “In business, if you’re having a bad day, you know that if you give that extra effort and try to outhustle the other guy, you’re going to win in the end.”

Hard work and loyalty are two of the qualities Price has tried to develop in his players over the years.

“What Gab taught me is that hard work does pay off and being a good person means something,” Vanidestine said.

Price’s ultimate reward is watching young men mature and become good citizens.

“He placed more importance on the game and on the young men playing than any kid has the ability to understand,” Fahey said. “He believes that football makes a better man out of you and that it is extremely important in forming character.”