MINNEAPOLIS (AP) β Longtime NBA head coach Flip Saunders has died at the age of 60, four months after being diagnosed with what doctors called a treatable and curable form of Hodgkin lymphoma. Saunders was serving as coach, president and part owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves when the team made the diagnosis public in August. Saunders went 654-592 in 17 NBA seasons with the Wolves, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) β Al Golden has been fired as head football coach of the Miami Hurricanes. The dismissal came one day after the Hurricanes absorbed the worst loss in the program’s 90-year history, a 58-0 rout by Clemson. Golden went 32-25 with the Hurricanes and 17-18 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) β George O’Leary has retired as the football coach at the University of Central Florida, effective immediately. It comes a day after the Knights dropped to 0-8 with a 59-10 loss to Houston, the worst home defeat in school history. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett has been named interim coach.
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) β Joey Logano made his third straight trip to victory lane yesterday following a Talladega race that caused Dale Earnhardt, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth to be eliminated from the Chase for the Championship. Several competitors accused Kevin Harvick of intentionally causing a race-ending caution by staying on the track after losing power in his vehicle, leading to a multi-car wreck. NASCAR said last week it would make just one attempt at Talladega to finish the race under green instead of the usual three tries in a nod toward creating a safer racing environment.
LAS VEGAS (AP) β Smylie Kaufman has earned a victory in just his fifth PGA start, taking the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open after a 10-under 61 left him 16-under for the tournament. Kaufman played the final 11 holes in 9 under with an eagle and seven birdies to finish minus-16 for the tournament. Kevin Na, third-round leader Brett Stegmaier, Patton Kizzire, Cameron Tringale (trihn-GAH’-lee), Jason Bohn and Alex Cejka (CHAY’-kah) tied for second, one stroke back.
