Butler beats former coach, Ohio State
Butler beats former coach, Ohio State
PORTLAND, Ore.
Kelan Martin hit a layup with 3.8 seconds left and Butler edged Ohio State 67-66 in overtime on Sunday for the final day of the Phil Knight Invitational tournament.
Martin finished with 24 points for Butler (5-2) in the win over former coach Chris Holtmann’s new team. Kamar Baldwin added 14.
C.J. Jackson’s free throws gave the Buckeyes a 66-65 lead with just under a minute to go in the extra period. The Bulldogs controlled the clock before Martin’s layup and Jackson’s heave missed the mark at the buzzer — sending Butler’s bench onto the court for a boisterous celebration.
Holtmann spent three seasons at Butler, taking the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 last season before leaving for Columbus. He replaced longtime Buckeyes coach Thad Motta.
Vols’ interest in Schiano prompts backlash
KNOXVILLE, TENN.
The possibility that Tennessee was considering Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano for its head coaching vacancy has state officials criticizing the school on social media and fans protesting on campus.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Sunday during a conference call previewing the Buckeyes’ Big Ten championship game with Wisconsin that Tennessee had contacted Schiano. Meyer said he had no additional details.
The criticism of a potential Schiano hire stems from his background as a defensive assistant at Penn State during Jerry Sandusky’s tenure as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator. Sandusky is serving 30 to 60 years in prison for his conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse.
Court documents released last year of a deposition in a case related to the Sandusky scandal suggested Schiano might have been aware of Sandusky’s sexual abuse against children, though Schiano says he had no knowledge of what was happening at the time.
Florida hires Mullen
GAINESVILLE, FLA.
Florida has hired Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen as its next football coach, bringing back the guy who helped turned Tim Tebow into a star.
The Gators announced the deal Sunday evening, after Mullen told his team he was returning to Gainesville.
Spurned by Chip Kelly and seemingly unwilling to risk waiting for UCF’s Scott Frost to possibly do the same, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin turned to Mullen. Stricklin and Mullen worked together in Starkville from 2009 to 2016. Stricklin was Mississippi State’s athletic director for seven of those years.
Texas A&M’s Sumlin fired after 6 seasons
Texas A&M has fired coach Kevin Sumlin after six winning seasons.
The first black head coach in program history was 51-26 and 25-23 in the Southeastern Conference and never had a losing season. But his first year at A&M was his best, and he never could come close to matching it.
In 2012, Sumlin had a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Johnny Manziel and ushered in the program’s move from the Big 12 to the SEC by going 11-2. That earned him a new contract and $5 million annual salary, but the Aggies have not won more than nine games since.
Arizona State fires Graham after 6 years
TEMPE, Ariz.
Arizona State fired coach Todd Graham after six seasons on Sunday despite a win over rival Arizona.
The Sun Devils (7-5, 6-2 Pac-12) are bowl eligible and finished second in the Pac-12 South behind Southern California after rallying to beat the Wildcats 42-30 on Saturday, but the program is not on the trajectory athletic director Ray Anderson wanted. Graham and his staff will remain with the program through Arizona State’s bowl game.
Graham, 52, has three seasons left on a contract that runs through the 2020 season and is owed $12 million.
Staff/wire report