FOOTBALL

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Frank Reich is returning to the Carolina Panthers as their coach, greater than 27 years after beginning the franchise’s first recreation at quarterback.

The Panthers agreed to phrases with the 61-year-old Reich to change into the sixth head coach in franchise historical past. An introductory information convention was set for Tuesday.

Reich was chosen amongst 9 candidates who interviewed for the job, together with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and this season’s interim head coach, Steve Wilks. Wilks was 6-6 after Matt Rhule was fired after a 1-4 begin.

Reich acquired a four-year deal from the Panthers, in keeping with an individual accustomed to the scenario. The particular person spoke to The Associated Press on situation of anonymity as a result of the workforce doesn’t launch particulars of teaching hires.

Reich joins the Panthers after spending the previous four-plus seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, the place he went 40-33-1 as head coach earlier than being fired on Nov. 7 after a 3-5-1 begin.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A shuffling of the teaching workers for the Dallas Cowboys gained’t embody defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who’s returning after one other yr of receiving curiosity from groups searching for head coaches.

Coach Mike McCarthy stated the membership’s resolution to not renew the contracts of six members of his workers, together with one with deep ties to him in Green Bay, hasn’t affected his relationship with proprietor/common supervisor Jerry Jones or the remainder of the Dallas entrance workplace.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett was employed because the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator to interchange Mike LaFleur after coach Robert Saleh interviewed greater than 15 candidates for the emptiness.

The hiring of the 43-year-old Hackett fuels hypothesis about whether or not the Jets might pursue Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose taking part in future is unsure. Hackett and Rodgers have a connection: Hackett served because the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-21 with Rodgers because the quarterback.

Hackett went 4-11 in lower than one season as head coach of the Broncos, who fired him a day after Denver’s 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have fired safeties coach Jim Salgado, an individual with direct information of the choice advised The Associated Press.

The particular person spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of the Bills haven’t introduced the transfer. ESPN.com first reported the firing.

Salgado simply accomplished his sixth season with Buffalo, and his first teaching safeties. He broke in with the workforce as a defensive assistant in 2017 earlier than being promoted to overseeing the nickel cornerback place in 2020.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is increasing its partnership with the Players Coalition to deal with problems with racial and social justice with a five-year extension and a $15 million grant by its Inspire Change initiative.

The settlement comes because the league and its groups say they’ve surpassed a $250 million dedication to fight systemic racism. The NFL says that purpose was reached 4 years forward of schedule.

BASKETBALL

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA profession scoring file. And now, he has caught Abdul-Jabbar within the All-Star file e book.

James was introduced Thursday as an NBA All-Star for the nineteenth time, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star tying Abdul-Jabbar for probably the most choices in league historical past. James — the main total vote-getter — would be the captain of one of many groups for the Feb. 19 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, whereas Eastern Conference voting chief Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee will captain the opposite facet.

James and Antetokounmpo will decide their groups shortly earlier than the sport, a newly introduced twist and a departure from previous years through which the captains picked every week or two prematurely of All-Star weekend.

The different eight starters they’ll be selecting from, barring any adjustments due to harm beforehand, are: Denver’s two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, NBA scoring chief Luka Doncic of Dallas, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Brooklyn teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Billy Packer, an Emmy award-winning faculty basketball broadcaster who lined 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, died at 82.

Packer’s son, Mark, advised The Associated Press that his father had been hospitalized in Charlotte for the previous three weeks and had a number of medical points, and in the end succumbed to kidney failure.

Packer’s broadcasting profession coincided with the expansion of school basketball. He labored as analyst or shade commentator on each Final Four from 1975 to 2008.

Packer performed three seasons at Wake Forest, and helped lead the Demon Deacons to the Final Four in 1962.

TENNIS

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached her second remaining up to now three Grand Slam tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 on the Australian Open.

Rybakina added to what already was a powerful run by a string of prime opponents. Azarenka, the champion at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013, joined a listing of gamers eradicated by Rybakina over the previous two weeks that features No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko — each house owners of main titles — and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.

In Saturday’s remaining, Rybakina will face No. 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam title match at age 24 by beating unseeded Magda Linette 7-6 (1), 6-2 within the second semifinal. Sabalenka improved to 10-0 in 2023, profitable all 20 units she has contested this season.

GOLF

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Sam Ryder prolonged his result in three photographs within the Farmers Insurance Open with a 4-under 68 in difficult wind within the second spherical on Torrey Pines’ South Course whereas Jon Rahm had an eagle and three straight birdies late in his 5-under 67 on the better North Course to get underneath the minimize line.

Ryder survived each the Santa Ana wind and the harder South Course with only one bogey to achieve 12-under 132 and take a three-stroke lead over Brendan Steele, who shot a 70 on the South Course. Tano Goya was two extra photographs again after a 67 on the North Course.

Ranked third on this planet and coming off consecutive victories, Rahm took his first tour win right here in 2017 after which gained the 2021 U.S. Open on the blufftop municipal course overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The remaining two rounds can be on the South Course.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed fared higher than Rory McIlroy after some pre-tournament friction because the Dubai Desert Classic bought off to a moist begin with solely 11 gamers managing to complete their weather-affected first rounds.

Play solely started on the European tour occasion after a delay of six hours brought on by heavy in a single day rain that left the course unplayable at Emirates Golf Club.

By the time the siren sounded to droop play due to fading gentle, Reed was 4 underneath par after 16 holes and top-ranked McIlroy was 2 underneath after 15 holes. Thomas Pieters was main at 5 underneath with three holes to play. Three English gamers — Matthew Jordan, Daniel Gavins and Oliver Wilson — shared the clubhouse lead at 4-under 68.

SOCCER

NEW YORK (AP) — The American males’s nationwide workforce shakeup that started after a public spat erupted between two well-known households accelerated when sporting director Earnie Stewart introduced he’s quitting the U.S. Soccer Federation to affix PSV Eindhoven.

Men’s common supervisor Brian McBride is also resigning, leaving coach Gregg Berhalter in limbo following the expiration of his contract Dec. 31. Berhalter is underneath investigation for a 1991 home violence incident and Anthony Hudson, considered one of his assistants, led his first recreation as interim coach on Wednesday.

Hours later, Austin’s Major League Soccer workforce stated former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna was not its sporting director. The Reyna household has been embroiled in a dispute with Berhalter that grew to become public earlier this month, a number of weeks after the U.S. was eradicated from the World Cup.

USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone stated it probably can be many months earlier than the coach scenario is sorted out. Sportsology Group, an organization that has labored with the Los Angeles Rams and a number of other soccer groups, was employed to steer the sporting director search, overview the sporting division and analyze coach candidates. The sporting director will then make the coach resolution.

HORSE RACING

NEW YORK (AP) — Hall of Fame coach Bob Baffert’s one-year ban by the New York Racing Association ended, permitting him to enter horses as quickly as Thursday.

Baffert was suspended final June for repeated remedy violations, though none of them occurred in New York. He was barred from Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. A panel credited Baffert for time served for an preliminary suspension, which allowed him to return this week.

Baffert stays underneath a two-year ban by Churchill Downs Inc., which sidelined him after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit examined optimistic for a substance that’s not allowed on race day. The penalty expires shortly after the Kentucky Derby in May. However, Baffert is preventing the suspension in federal courtroom.

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Flightline ran away in all six of his races, and ran away with prime honors on the Eclipse Awards on Thursday night time. And coach Todd Pletcher, for the primary time in almost a decade, acquired the game’s prime prize as properly.

Flightline — the now-retired winner of final yr’s Breeders’ Cup Classic to cap an unbeaten six-race profession — gained Horse of the Year in addition to the Eclipse as prime Older Dirt Male.

Godolphin was additionally a double winner, sweeping the Eclipses as prime proprietor and prime breeder for the second consecutive yr. It was additionally the third consecutive top-owner Eclipse for Godolphin.

It was Pletcher’s eighth Eclipse, extending his file for probably the most by any coach, and his first since 2014. Irad Ortiz Jr. gained the Eclipse as prime jockey for the fourth time within the final 5 years.

FIGURE SKATING

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier scored a personal-best 81.96 for a commanding lead after the pairs quick program within the first day of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Overwhelming favourite and reigning world champions, Knierim and Frazier bested their earlier finest by three factors. They led second-place Emily Chan and Spencer Howe by greater than 15 factors after the quick program with the free skate competitors set for Saturday at SAP Center.

The first day of competitors concluded with the ladies’s quick program. Fifteen-year-old Isabeau Levito led the best way with a rating of 73.78, forward of two-time nationwide champion Bradie Tennell (73.76). In the rhythm dance, favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates had the lead.

BASEBALL

HOUSTON (AP) — Dana Brown was employed as the overall supervisor of the Houston Astros.

Brown replaces James Click, who was not given a brand new contract and parted methods with the Astros simply days after they gained the World Series. Brown spent the final 4 seasons because the vice chairman of scouting for the Atlanta Braves.

Click had served as Houston’s common supervisor since becoming a member of the workforce earlier than the 2020 season from the Tampa Bay Rays.