Tuesday, Terry Stotts formally had his second interview to be the next Los Angeles Lakers head coach. If he doesn’t get that job, he is not coming to Los Angeles to be the lead assistant to Darvin Ham or anyone else. The Lakers asked — twice — and were shot down both times, reports Dan Woike at the Los Angeles Times . According to sources, Stotts was asked previously if he would have interest in joining the Lakers as an assistant should he not be hired as a head coach. Stotts, sources said, told the team that he has no interest in a role as a lead assistant. Stotts was approached about joining Frank Vogel in that role last season on the Lakers’ bench and also declined, sources said. Bucks’ assistant Ham is considered the front runner to be the next Lakers’ coach (he’s reportedly the guy LeBron James backs among the finalists). He and the third finalist, Kenny Atkinson, will have their second interviews in the coming days. Ham, Stotts, and Atkinson are also … [Read more...] about Lakers asked, but Terry Stotts will not be assistant coach if L.A. hires someone else
Bronco head coaches
Cal swim coach Teri McKeever placed on paid leave following reports of bullying, verbal abuse
Getty Images UC Berkeley swimmers walked out of practice on Wednesday, one day after Scott Reid of the Orange County Register published an investigation of head coach Teri McKeever. According to the report, McKeever has verbally abused and bullied at least 19 former and current student-athletes and pressured some of them to compete despite injuries and chronic illnesses. The university has officially placed McKeever on indefinite paid administrative leave and the coach is being formally investigated by SafeSport. McKeever has been at the helm of the school's swimming program for 30 years, leading Cal to six Pac-12 swim championships and four NCAA championships. Her reputation with athletes and parents has never been great, though. According to Southern California News Group, in 2010, Cal chancellor Robert Joseph Birgeneau was made aware of allegations against McKeever that dated back to 2001. In spite of that, the new report claims the university has failed to fix what is … [Read more...] about Cal swim coach Teri McKeever placed on paid leave following reports of bullying, verbal abuse
Lawyers say Texans only hired Lovie Smith over Brian Flores due to NFL lawsuit; GM Nick Caserio refutes claim
The Texans on Monday announced the hiring of former Bears and Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith, making the former defensive coordinator the fifth minority coach to hold a top NFL job amid the league's public struggle to diversify staffing. But one of Smith's competitors for the job, former Dolphins coach Brian Flores, doesn't believe Houston made its decision based on merit. Flores' attorneys suggested in a statement later Monday that the only reason the Texans hired Smith over Flores is because the latter has a pending lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices. "Mr. Flores is happy to hear that the Texans have hired a Black head coach, Lovie Smith, as Mr. Flores' goal in bringing his case is to provide real opportunities for Black and minority candidates to be considered for coaching and executive positions within the NFL," attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis wrote. "However, we would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Flores was … [Read more...] about Lawyers say Texans only hired Lovie Smith over Brian Flores due to NFL lawsuit; GM Nick Caserio refutes claim
Paul Finebaum supports Jimbo Fisher firing back at Nick Saban: ‘He had to respond’
Alabama head coach Nick Saban caused quite a stir Wednesday evening with his public claims that Texas A&M bought its entire No. 1-ranked, according to the 247Sports Composite, 2022 recruiting class . Those comments did not sit well with Jimbo Fisher , who called a press conference Thursday morning and delivered a fiery rant in which called Saban a “narcissist,” said that he did not want to be associated with him anymore and that the two were “done.” Paul Finebaum addressed the situation between the two head coaches during his radio show Thursday afternoon. The SEC Network host said he supports Fisher’s decision to respond, claiming that Saban left him no choice. “Did Jimbo overshoot the runway? Maybe,” Finebaum said. “But he had to respond. Nick Saban said, point blank, he bought every player in the class. Is Jimbo supposed to roll over and say, ‘Thank you, sir. May I have another?’” Finebaum noted that Fisher’s comments have only garnered the coach more support … [Read more...] about Paul Finebaum supports Jimbo Fisher firing back at Nick Saban: ‘He had to respond’
NFC South burning questions for 2022: Tom Brady lands his eighth ring? Baker Mayfield to the Panthers?
USATSI In one of the weirdest NFL offseasons in history, the NFC South helped put on a show. Tom Brady retired only to quickly unretire, and Matt Ryan is no longer with the Atlanta Falcons -- the franchise legend traded away to the Indianapolis Colts. The Carolina Panthers are in on trading for Baker Mayfield, but then they're not, but then they are again (maybe, kinda, sorta?), and the New Orleans Saints are entering their first season without Sean Payton as head coach since the 2006 season (his "Bountygate" suspension in 2012 notwithstanding) when he and Drew Brees began their reign over the division. Add to this the fact Bruce Arians decided to give the keys to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching castle to his defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, and it's not difficult to see just how much upheaval has occurred in what is often one of the most competitive divisions in all of football. But with so much change comes an equal or greater number of questions, and while there are … [Read more...] about NFC South burning questions for 2022: Tom Brady lands his eighth ring? Baker Mayfield to the Panthers?
AFC South burning questions: How much of an upgrade is Matt Ryan? Can Ryan Tannehill bounce back?
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports The AFC South figures to be an interesting division to watch in 2022. We have two potential contenders in the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans , and then two rebuilding teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans . Still, with how crazy this offseason has been, there's no telling who could end up on top in the AFC South. All four teams will be forced to answer burning questions in 2022 -- answers that could decide how the season pans out. Is Davis Mills a franchise quarterback? Can Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry carry their respective offenses? How quickly can Doug Pederson get the Jaguars back on track? Let's examine four more burning questions in the AFC South. Texans: Is Lovie Smith the guy? Deshaun Watson is gone, and now it's time to focus on the rebuild in Houston. The Texans have shown by the decisions they have made in free agency over the past two offseasons that they are going to complete the rebuild … [Read more...] about AFC South burning questions: How much of an upgrade is Matt Ryan? Can Ryan Tannehill bounce back?
Ravens’ Sam Koch thanks Nebraska in emotional NFL retirement press conference
Baltimore Ravens punter Sam Koch announced this month that he is retiring as an NFL player after 16 seasons. The Nebraska product played his entire professional career in Baltimore after being picked in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (256). Koch, who was born and raised in Nebraska, walked on for the Cornhuskers in 2001 and eventually went on to earn a scholarship. He expressed his appreciation for both his home state and the Nebraska football program during an emotional retirement press conference. "I grew up in the small town of Ulysses, Nebraska,” Koch said . “It had nearly a population of under 270 people, so we basically lived in the middle of a cornfield. I fell in love with football and played multiple positions, most notably linebacker, punter and kicker. I want to thank my Seward High School coaches and teammates, especially Coach Greg Welch, for cultivating the passion for playing football that led me … [Read more...] about Ravens’ Sam Koch thanks Nebraska in emotional NFL retirement press conference
Why Colin Kaepernick could be a good fit for Raiders, plus NFL owners forced to fork over $232.5 million
Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! With Memorial Day right around the corner, I thought for sure that we were about to hit the slow part of the NFL offseason, but if I've learned one thing this week, it's that there's no such thing as the "slow part" of the NFL offseason. Over the past 24 hours alone, we've seen Colin Kaepernick get an NFL workout for the first time in five years, we've seen Jon Gruden score some major legal wins against the NFL and we've seen 31 of the 32 owners forced into paying out a total of $232.5 million to help out Stan Kroenke. I'm guessing they weren't happy about that. We'll be touching on all of those things and more in today's newsletter, so let's get to the rundown. As always, here's your weekly reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. All you have to do is click here and then share the link . 1. Today's show: AFC South win totals For the rest of this week, there's going to be a … [Read more...] about Why Colin Kaepernick could be a good fit for Raiders, plus NFL owners forced to fork over $232.5 million
Manchester United’s five years of failure examined: How and why the trophies stopped and key factors explored
"The last piece of the puzzle." That is how Jose Mourinho described Manchester United's Europa League final win over Ajax in May 2017. United were, he pointed out, now a club that had won every trophy in the world of football. The victory that night in Stockholm was supposed to be the beginning, not the end. It may have been their third trophy of the season - as Mourinho memorably gesticulated with his fingers - but it had also been what he described as his most difficult season as a manager. United muddled through at times, finishing sixth in the Premier League. But back then even a spluttering version of the red machine seemed capable of churning out silverware. Louis van Gaal had been sacked with the FA Cup plonked right in front of him. United's alarming slump With 2017 the last time Manchester United won a major trophy, they are now on their longest drought in four decades. After victory in the 1977 FA Cup, they had to wait until 1983 for their next triumph … [Read more...] about Manchester United’s five years of failure examined: How and why the trophies stopped and key factors explored
Past, Present, Future: Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey is the most dynamic guard in the draft and considered a virtual lock to be a top five pick. Most mock drafts currently have him slotted at either four or five to Sacramento or Detroit respectively, but there’s a possibility someone in the top three opts to bet on his potential too. Three years ago, that would have seemed like a virtual impossibility. Since then, though, Ivey has experienced an almost unprecedented athletic evolution that has shot him up draft boards. High School Ivey’s mother, Nielle Ivey, who is currently the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame, had just finishing her first season in the WNBA when she had Jaden. She went on to play four more seasons before beginning her coaching career – which included a long tenure at her alma mater, where Jaden essentially grew up. He played the first three years of his high school basketball at Marian High School, just five miles from Notre Dame’s campus. He made a substantial jump between his … [Read more...] about Past, Present, Future: Jaden Ivey