Price is right for first female BBL coach

Former Australia wicketkeeper Julia Price will become the first female coach in the KFC Big Bash after joining the Brisbane Heat as an assistant for the upcoming season.

Price, a commentator with Channel Seven as well as coach of the USA women's team, joins head coach Darren Lehmann on the Heat coaching roster alongside fellow assistants James Hopes, bowling coach Ryan Harris and coaching assistant Gavin Fitness for BBL|09.

She previously mentored Tasmania in the Women's National Cricket League and was coach of the inaugural Hobart Hurricanes WBBL team, before standing down at the end of WBBL|03.

Price said working with the USA team had inspired her to continue pushing the boundaries of her coaching career, adding she was particularly looking forward to working with the Heat's boom recruit AB de Villiers.

"I'm pretty excited about that I have to admit," Price said on Seven's broadcast of the WBBL final on Sunday.

"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to be around the guys and seeing how they do it differently to what the girls do.

"Having been in the Hurricanes set up for the WBBL, it will be interesting to see how the BBL does it.

"I had a bit to do with the Hurricanes boys but this will be a completely different level now … I can learn off both the players and the coaching staff."

Price, who played 10 Tests and 84 one-day internationals for Australia, formed part of Australia's 1997 and 2005 World Cup triumphs.

She will link up with the Heat for their January 1 clash with the Perth Scorchers at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Lehmann said Price would be a valuable addition to the team, joining them when former Test paceman Harris departs on Under-19 men's World Cup coaching duties.

"We'd been chatting about whether there were some professional development opportunities for her through her USA role and we just went from there," Lehmann said.

"She has an excellent cricket brain and plenty of experience as a head coach, so I can see her fitting quite neatly into our set-up.

"We knew we had Ryan Harris with us for the start of the BBL before he goes to the U19 World Cup, but there was still a position available for us to fill on the coaching staff and we thought this was a great chance to innovate and think outside the box.

"I'm pleased the Heat have been able to go in a direction that we haven't seen yet in the BBL in having a woman on the coaching staff, but I don't believe it will be the last time it happens either."