Sports

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have fired Pete Carroll after just one year. Carroll had high hopes for success, but the Raiders finished 3-14, including a 10-game losing streak. They ended the season with a win over Kansas City on Sunday. Owner Mark Davis and minority owner Tom Brady will work with general manager John Spytek to find a new coach. The team might look for an offensive-minded coach to work with a young quarterback. Carroll, 74, was the NFL’s oldest head coach and previously led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon fired following dismal third season that ended with 3-14 record

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was fired Monday following a dismal third season that started with high expectations but quickly collapsed thanks to injuries, embarrassing gaffes and a long string of losses that became increasingly noncompetitive. The final indignity came Sunday, when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cardinals 37-20 after scoring the final 21 points. It was the team’s ninth straight loss and 14th setback in 15 games.

Browns fire two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski after six seasons

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons. Stefanski is the fourth NFL coach fired this season, joining Tennessee’s Brian Callahan, the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll and Atlanta’s Raheem Morris. The Browns won their final two games to finish 5-12, including a 20-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Stefanski, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, led Cleveland to playoff appearances in 2020 and 2023. He is the sixth coach fired since owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam bought the franchise in 2012. The Browns have struggled with a 73-139-1 regular-season record since 2013.

Arizona holds No. 1 spot over Michigan by single point in one of the closest AP Top 25 races ever

Arizona holds onto the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 by a single point over Michigan. This marks one of the closest races in the poll’s 78-year history. The Wildcats received 32 first-place votes, while the Wolverines got 29. The top six teams remain unchanged, with Iowa State, UConn, Purdue, and Duke following Michigan. Nebraska is in the top 10 for the first time since 1966, riding an 18-game winning streak. The Big 12 has seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has six in the poll and three in the top 10.

Kentucky, Vanderbilt into top 10 in women’s AP Top 25 after 4 of top 10 teams fall; UConn, Texas 1-2

Kentucky and Vanderbilt made significant jumps in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25. This follows a week where four of the top 10 teams lost, causing a shakeup in the rankings. UConn remains No. 1, followed by Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA. Oklahoma has moved up to fifth. Kentucky and Vanderbilt each rose five spots to sixth and seventh after defeating LSU. Vanderbilt’s win was its first against a top-five team in 17 years. Maryland and Michigan both dropped after losses. Only four teams remain undefeated: UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Texas Tech.

Steelers, Panthers, Jaguars secure division titles. Broncos clinch AFC’s No. 1 seed

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers sent Lamar Jackson and the Ravens home for the playoffs. The Panthers are NFC South champions for the first time in 10 years. The Broncos are the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Rodgers threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds left and Pittsburgh secured the AFC North title with a 26-24 victory when Baltimore’s Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal wide right as time expired on Sunday night in the final game of the NFL’s regular season. Carolina clinched its division title when the Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 on Sunday to eliminate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Manchester United coach Amorim out one day after provocative comments about club structure

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United says Ruben Amorim is out as coach. His ouster comes one day after the Portuguese made provocative comments about his own role and the club’s management in a postgame news conference. Amorim lasted just 14 months in what has proved one of the most difficult jobs in English soccer in 13 years since club legend Alex Ferguson retired. United has failed to win a Premier League title in that time.

Miami’s defense has been airtight to fuel run to CFP semifinals. And now Ole Miss awaits

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami’s biggest signing this season might be defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from Minnesota. He was hired in January 2025 to fix a struggling defense. The Hurricanes are now allowing their fewest points per game since 2001, their last national championship season. They’ve given up only 9.7 points per game in a six-game winning streak. Miami faces Mississippi in a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night. Hetherman’s philosophy, “excitement, swarm, violence,” has transformed the team. With standout players like Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, Miami’s defense is thriving.

Phillies hire Don Mattingly as bench coach, reuniting him with GM son Preston

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have hired Don Mattingly as a bench coach on Rob Thomson’s staff. Mattingly reunites with his son, Preston, who is Philadelphia’s general manager. He has spent the last 22 seasons on major league staffs, including three years with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mattingly, a former Yankees first baseman, was a six-time All-Star and 1985 AL MVP. He managed the Dodgers and Marlins, earning NL Manager of the Year in 2020. Mattingly replaces Mike Calitri, now the major league field coordinator.

Laser rifle program, new shooting ranges means growth for biathlon in the US

Biathlon is the most-watched winter sport in Europe, where many athletes grow up on skis and have access to biathlon ranges. That has helped European biathletes dominate international competitions, including the Olympics. The sport is less popular in the U.S. where participation has been hampered by a limited access to shooting ranges and the high cost of biathlon rifles. But that’s changing thanks to the investment into new biathlon centers and a laser rifle program that’s bringing biathlon to cross country ski centers across the country. It lets people of all ages and abilities participate in the sport. It’s hoped these efforts will foster a new generation of biathletes and level the playing field on the world stage.