Georgia Southern mens basketball coach Jeff Price announced his resignation from the team in a meeting with GSU Athletics director Sam Baker Monday.

“It was a called meeting,” Baker said over the phone Monday evening. “The meeting came late in the day, and Jeff just felt it was time to move on to other things – it was a rough year.”

According to Baker, the search for a replacement will start immediately.

Price and the Eagles struggled on the court throughout the 2008-09 season, finishing with a record of 8-22 (5-15 Southern Conference) – the worst GSU performance since a 3-23 season in 1995-96 under coach Gregg Polinsky.

The Eagles struggled off the court last season as well, losing leading scorer Willie Powers to injury against The Citadel just 11 games into the season. Three other players - Trumaine Pearson, Antoine Johnson and Julian Allen - were suspended and did not play the final 10 games of the season, including an 86-75 loss to Appalachian State in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament.

Johnson has since been reinstated to the team. It was the senior year for Allen and Pearson, who will not return to the roster.

Price inherited a team coming off an 11-17 season in 1999, directing the Eagles to a 16-12 record the following season. Under Price, Georgia Southern won its first-ever SoCon Championship – taking the regular-season South Division in 2001-02. They won it again in 2003-04 and got the third of Price’s career in 2005-06, earning a bid to the NIT Tournament, Georgia Southern’s first postseason appearance since a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 1992.

“I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to coach at Georgia Southern University,” Price said. “I felt like at this time it was best for all parties involved to move on in my career. I feel like we have done some tremendous things during the past 10 years with the program and I wish them nothing but the best of luck in the future.”

Price stepped down as the third-winningest coach in GSU history with a career-record of 165-133. He was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 1999-00 and last year was named the Whack Hyder State of Georgia Men's College Coach of the Year.

The new coaching staff will inherit a senior-laden team, with Johnson, Antonio Hanson, Blake Thompson, Krzysztof Janiszewski, Tyler Troupe and Sandy Perry all returning for their senior seasons as an Eagle.

The team loses seniors Anthony Marshall and Kenith Ward to graduation. Powers is expected to return to the lineup next season as a junior.

Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9404.