Austin Price Headshot

While studying Business Administration as an undergrad at Chapman University, Austin Price spent four years coaching tennis at his alma mater, Tustin High School. After serving two and a half years as an assistant, in late 2018 he became the youngest head coach in program history. Later that season, the Girls Varsity Team boasted a 13-5 record, the best finish in 30 years. In 2019 the tennis program had 45 athletes encompassing 4 levels, the largest roster in program history.

Austin says: “I do not think I would be in the position I am today without the leadership, communication and organizational skills I developed in my time at Tustin. I never viewed my position at Tustin as a ‘job.’ I was fortunate enough to have some fun with kids that I admired greatly. This was a position that allowed me the opportunity to ‘escape’ the stresses of school, even if only for a few hours. The tennis court is my beach and I am able to clear my head when I’m on the court. I took pride in being a steady presence and mentor for our athletes but I learned as much from them as they did from me. I never would have guessed that I would have worked at my alma mater, let alone run the tennis program I used to play for. It turned out to be my favorite position I have held to this point and I will miss my time there as I begin to transition to a career in marketing.”

Upon graduation, Austin interned for seven months as a Sales and Customer Service Representative at Allstate Insurance before ultimately returning to begin his MBA in August. He has now started a Public Relations internship at Sports 1 Marketing (S1M) in Irvine. There he is responsible for creating pre-production material and related deliverables in preparation for use on S1M podcast, The Playbook with David Meltzer.

He hopes the experience and connections he makes at this internship will prepare him for a future career in sports marketing. When asked how he applied for this position, Austin says, “This opportunity stemmed from a speaking engagement that I attended on campus. What started with a question to the guest speaker was the first step that led to this internship.”

Austin believes he possesses a unique skill-set due to his educational background as well as his varied involvement in sports. He hopes his skill-set and his MBA will be differentiators as he aims to work in the increasingly competitive sports industry. He encourages students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to pursue their passions, double down on their strengths and avoid getting caught up in comparing themselves to others.

“Sports are truly a ‘pay it forward’ industry and the connections I have made so far have helped me greatly. I place great emphasis on making a positive impact both at school and in the workplace,” Austin said. “One aspect I have noticed and appreciate so greatly is how supportive the students in the MBA program are of each other’s endeavors in and outside of the classroom.”

Austin’s broad career goal is to work in sports, specifically in tennis to grow the sport he is so passionate about. His dream job would be to work in Marketing or Youth Tennis Development for the USTA (United States Tennis Association).

Fun Facts about Austin:

  • Youngest Head Coach in Tustin High School Tennis history.
  • Won the Chapman University Tennis Open in October 2018
  • Although born and raised in Tustin, he has traveled to Seattle over 30 times. It is his favorite city to visit, especially in the summer.
  • Avid fan of Anaheim Ducks and has been a season ticket holder the last three years