HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Larry Price, a one-of-a-kind homegrown talent who helped shape University of Hawaii football and local sports media for decades, has died.
The Price ohana said in a statement:
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Larry D. Price of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, on March 27, 2026. He passed peacefully.
Dr. Price was known as an athlete, professor, news columnist for Mid-Week, sportscaster for OC16, and beloved radio personality as part of the Perry & Price morning show on KSSK-FM as part of the morning duo, Perry & Price; many knew him simply as ‘Coach.’
We appreciate the prayers and sympathies conveyed. The family requests privacy during this time.”
Larry Price was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 1994 and received a UH Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.(UH Sports Circle of Honor (left) and University of Hawaii Foundation (right))
Born and raised in Kaaawa, Price made the long, daily commute to Roosevelt High School, where he fell in love with football. A 6-foot, 260-pound force, he played on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Price went on to the University of Hawaii, playing defensive tackle from 1961 to 1964 and serving as a three-time team captain.
His impact wasn’t limited to the gridiron.
He held a black belt in judo from Kodokan Judo Institute, studied the martial arts of jiu-jitsu and karate, and fought his way in boxing to become a heavyweight champion while serving in the U.S. Army.
Larry Price is shown during his time with University of Hawaii football — first as a player and later as the program’s head coach.(May Price)
After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams, Price returned to his roots at the University of Hawaii. He served as head volleyball coach from 1969 to 1972, and was named to the 11-member all-time UH football team in 1973.
As head football coach from 1974 to 1976, he helped usher the university into NCAA Division I Football, and was the division’s first head coach born and raised in Hawaii.
During Price’s coaching era, Hawaii competed under the moniker the Rainbows, solidifying an identity that reflected the university’s home in Manoa.
“It’s always been known as the valley of the seven rainbows, kind of a spiritual thing,” Price said at the time. “We didn’t make a big deal, because we’ve always been the rainbows because of where the school sits.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi — a former walk-on player who later joined Price’s staff as associate head coach and defensive coordinator — still vividly remembers his first meeting with Price.
“From the hour I met him, I was there to try to prove something about myself to him knowing full well he held the bar really high,” Blangiardi said. “I think he was born to be the head coach at UH. He had a passion for it. He was so skilled.”
Blangiardi called the opportunity to coach alongside Price a “great North Star” in his life. “That decision changed my destiny,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in Hawaii today if it wasn’t for him.”
In this photo, it’s Price on the left, and Perry on the right. (Image: KSSK)
Price was just as instrumental behind the mic as he was on the sidelines. After hanging up his cleats, Price stepped into the world of broadcasting.
“Being that I had retired from coaching, I didn’t have anything to do anyway. So I said, I’ll give it a try,” Price said. “I’ve never done this before, but I’m coachable.”
For more than 30 years on KSSK radio, Price and Michael W. Perry became the soundtrack of the morning commute for listeners across Hawaii.
WATCH: Grace Lee checks in with the dynamic duo before Sunday’s special broadcast of “Perry and Price: Voices of Hawaii”
Grace Lee checked in with the dynamic duo before a special broadcast of “Perry and Price: Voices of Hawaii” in 2014.
“When we got on the radio, we were terrible for about six months,” Perry recalled, “but the timing finally clicked, and everything was perfect, and we had some great, some great moments.”
The “Perry & Price” radio show was an institution for local listeners, who tuned in for commentary, news, and contemporary music. They also hosted a popular Saturday breakfast show that drew packed rooms of diners eager to see, and interact with, the duo.
“We did all kinds of things. We had April Fool’s stunts that probably should have gotten us fired, but didn’t. Radio was a little different back then, and we just had a lot of fun,” Perry said.
“Larry was a team player because of his sports background,” Perry said. “He said, ‘We have to be a team.’ He said, ‘They’ll try to split us up.’ And they did, and we didn’t let them. To this day, there’s a sign in my office that we had back from 1983 that says: Together. That’s the key.”
In times of statewide emergencies, many tuned in to hear Perry and Price share information over the airwaves. “We were there when people needed us, which is, I think, the thing that matters most,” Perry said.
RELATED: After 3 decades, Larry Price to leave popular ‘Perry & Price’ morning radio show
File photo of Larry Price at KSSK
Price combined his love of sports and broadcasting when he helped guide the launch of OC16’s weekly high school football broadcasts.
The weekly telecasts gave local athletes statewide exposure alongside Price’s distinct insight, unmistakable enthusiasm and his signature “Katoosh!” calls.
RELATED: Larry Price, former coach known for his signature ‘KATOOSH,’ inducted into Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame
Off the air, Price brought the same passion to education, and remained a lifelong learner
He earned a bachelor’s of science and master’s of education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education, later completed a Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, and did post-doctoral work at Stanford University. He also served as an assistant professor at Chaminade University.
2016 UH Distinguished Alumni Award honorees (left to right): Eric Yeaman, Jackie Young, Larry Price, Ernest Takafuji and Conrad Nonaka. Price received the University of Hawaii Founders Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award.(University of Hawaii Foundation)
Over the decades, Price’s contributions earned him some of Hawaii’s highest honors, including being inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 1994.
In 2016, he received the University of Hawaii Founders Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Knowledge is power and you got to just keep on going. Forget about all the obstacles and the reasons for not going. Figure out a way to go, and just keep going,” Price said.
In 2022, he was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, an organization he helped establish to preserve and celebrate the state’s athletic history.
Those who knew Price best say his accomplishments were matched by the way he treated people, as a mentor loved and respected by so many.
“He was really a renaissance man, if you will, in that he just continued to evolve and knew how to be good at every one of those different situations,” Blangiardi said, describing Price’s journey from student-athlete to coach, champion boxer and martial artist, scholar and respected broadcaster.
“But the real guy, this kid that grew up in Kaaawa,” Blangiardi said, “he knew no limits, and he pushed anybody around him to think the same way and be the same way.”
“Larry, it was a great ride. It was unbelievable. I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” Perry said of their decades-long relationship. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and you give ‘em in heaven.”
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