The previous franchise chairman, David Aflallo, and his board appointed Bratschi last winter.
It was disclosed he had a wealth of experience in sport management, having worked in professional franchises such as the NBA's Miami Heat and MLB's Triple-A affiliate to the Houston Astros, the New Orleans Zephyrs, and the Class-A affiliate to the Colorado Rockies, the Asheville Tourists. He also spent five years with the Professional Golf Association (PGA).
Bratschi, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, moved with his wife to New Zealand in 2011 and in 2014 had been general manager of the now defunct Manawatu Jets who withdrew from the National Basketball League (NBL) last year.
He succeeded former Silver Ferns defender Tanya Dearns, who had assumed the mantle of Central Pulse netball franchise based in Wellington in the former Transtasman ANZ Championship. She no longer coaches the Pulse.
Price says Bratschi had enticed some new sponsors during his one-season term.
"He was employed on a year-to-year basis. He just had a job. We paid him wages and he was holding a position," he says when asked if Bratschi was paid out of any sort of contract.
He describes the matter now "as a moving document".
However, Price's aim as " a hands-on" executive chairman, is to consider a "module that's sustainable".
The Hawks' "win/lose" nature, as of late, tends to have a "saw-blade" effect so he feels it's imperative successive protagonists document their developments so anyone can find traction with it in a culture of transparency.
"Some people are doing a good job but their knowledge is all in their head."
Price says if people leave their roles their successors should ease into the driver's seat with aplomb to ensure a sense of continuity. He believes it's painfully obvious franchises that prevail in the NBL are those who have an open-chequebook policy to entice pedigree players.
"Hey, teams with lots of money generally win it."
For the Hawks, he says the trick is to find a right balance but also establish a defined structure that clearly shows coach, assistant coach and manager.
Price appointed former Tall Fern Kirstin Daly-Taylor Hawks coach last year on a five-year stint with that consistency in mind.
However, the Aidan Daly-captained team had a season to forget last year, failing to make the Final Four with 15 consecutive losses and the Pettigrew-Green Arena in Taradale, Napier, losing some sheen as a fortress opposition sides dread to run on to.
"We've come out of a pretty hard year but our bank balance is good considering we were in major debt," says Price.
"It was pretty hard when I took over in December last year so we couldn't change a lot of things."
Under the previous franchise in 2015, the Hawks had weathered a winter of discontent with the sacking of Australian coach Liam Flynn as veteran Paora Winitana took the reins as player/coach to finish the remaining six games.
American George Galanopoulos was the assistant coach with former Tall Black Jarrod Kenny at the helm as captain, eking out six wins from 18 games to finish seventh on the eight-team league.
Nevertheless, Napier city councillor Price stepped in last November to quash any rumours of the Hawks ending their NBL campaign. He says the signing of Hastings-born Tall Black shooting guard Everard Bartlett and point guard Kenny in September to return to live here and commit to the cause is the template for next season.
"They can mentor players through," he says, emphasising it's not a criticism of others but merely an appraisal of a better system from what he has seen.
While he isn't a basketballer, Price says the Hawks franchise is looking at how best to make use of resources in the province.
In a board meeting last week, the members had ratified a plan for the Hawks to train alongside the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team in their Onekawa gym in Napier.
Price says it's not just a case of attaining a certain level of fitness required to compete on a national stage but also for the Hawks to work alongside an elite crop of athletes which exudes professionalism and upholds a sense of regional conscience in instilling pride when they slap on their tribal colours.
