Billy Price an Outland Trophy semifinalist

Billy Price an Outland Trophy semifinalist

COLUMBUS

Less than a week after becoming Ohio State’s all-time leader in consecutive starts, already graduated center Billy Price added another line to his resume: Outland Trophy semifinalist.

The field for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman on offense or defense, will be reduced to three in the next week. Those finalists will be announced at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The current group of semifinalists consists of five offensive linemen and one defensive tackle.

Price, an Austintown Fitch graduate, has been the anchor of an offensive line that spearheads a Buckeye offense currently ranked fifth in scoring (44.2 points per game), third in total offense (546.5 yards per game) and leads the nation with 281 first downs. On the ground, Price has paved the way for a rushing attack that is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally (245.3 yards per game).

A four-year starter along the line and All-American in 2016 at right guard, Price established a new school record with 51 straight starts last Saturday in a 48-3 win over Michigan State that was highlighted by 335 yards rushing by the Ohio State offense. Price has already been named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press as well as a Senior CLASS Award finalist.

Price and 18 other seniors will play their final game inside Ohio Stadium today when the Buckeyes host Illinois at 3:30 p.m.

Wales coach Coleman quits to take club job

SUNDERLAND, England

The Football Association of Wales says Chris Coleman has quit as national team coach after six years to return to club management.

The announcement on Friday followed reports by media, including the BBC, that Coleman is to take charge of English second-tier club Sunderland.

The former Fulham manager led Wales to the 2016 European Championship semifinals in the country’s first appearance at a tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

Coleman couldn’t build on that feat by leading Wales to the World Cup in Russia next year, falling short in qualifying in the last act of his six-year reign.

FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford says “we wish Chris the very best of luck for the future as he returns to club management, a desire for which he has always been honest and open about.”

The Sunderland job has been vacant since Simon Grayson was fired more than two weeks ago.

A’s hire Matt Williams as third-base coach

OAKLAND, Calif.

The Oakland Athletics have hired former San Francisco Giants star Matt Williams as their new third base coach.

The A’s announced Friday that Williams will join manager Bob Melvin’s staff. Melvin was a coach in Arizona for two seasons late in Williams’ career with the Diamondbacks.

Williams played 17 years in the majors, beginning with the cross-bay Giants. He also played for Cleveland and Arizona, finishing his career with 378 homers, five All-Star appearances and four Gold Gloves at third base,

Williams then spent five years as a coach with the Diamondbacks before managing Washington for two seasons from 2014-15. He had a 179-145 record and won the NL Manager of the Year award his first season.

Skater Gracie Gold out of U.S. championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Two-time U.S. women’s figure skating champion Gracie Gold has withdrawn from the national championships while she continues to seek treatment for depression, anxiety and an eating disorder.

Gold announced last month that she was withdrawing from her Grand Prix assignments, and her decision to skip nationals in January ends any chance of her competing at next year’s Winter Olympics.

The 22-year-old Gold, who won team bronze and barely missed the women’s podium at the 2014 Sochi Games, has struggled since the 2016 world championships.

From staff and wire reports