Former coach Spoo dies
Former Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo, whose players included future NFL quarterbacks Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo, died at the age of 80.
The university said Spoo died Monday in Rockford, Ill. School spokesman Rich Moser said Spoo had been ill in recent weeks.
Spoo retired in 2011 after 25 years as the Eastern Illinois coach. He had a career record of 144-131-1 and nine FCS playoff appearances.
He had an 11-5 record playing quarterback for Purdue in 1957-’58 before becoming a high school coach in the Chicago area. He was the quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin (1973–’77) and Purdue before taking over the Eastern Illinois program. It plays in the Ohio Valley Conference.
BASEBALL
The Chicago Cubs hired Anthony Iapoce as its major-league hitting coach Monday, replacing the fired Chili Davis.
Iapoce had the same job for Texas the last three seasons, a span in which the Rangers ranked fifth in the American League in runs and fourth in home runs. The 2017 Rangers were the first MLB team with nine players to reach at least 17 homers in the same season.
The former outfielder played 11 minor-league seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers and Marlins system. Iapoce, 45, was selected by Milwaukee in the 33rd round of the 1994 draft.
Snitker rewarded: The Atlanta Braves agreed to a two-year contract extension with manager Brian Snitker, who guided the team to its first playoff berth since 2013.
Snitker was appointed interim manager in May 2016 after the firing of Freddi Gonzalez. He will be heading into his third full season as the club’s manager and 43rd as a member of the organization.
After a third straight 90-loss season in 2017, the Braves improved to 90-72 this year and won the NL East.
GOLF
Johnny Miller is retiring as the lead analyst for NBC Sports after three decades of giving viewers his unfiltered views.
Miller says he will sign off on Feb. 3 at the Phoenix Open. He chose the event because he played some of his best golf in Arizona and earned the nickname “Desert Fox.” He started with NBC at the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1990 and has done 21 majors and 14 Ryder Cups.
A person with knowledge of the move said Paul Azinger will replace him at NBC and remain the U.S. Open analyst for Fox Sports.
Senior Women’s LPGA Championship: Laura Davies opened with a 4-under 68 despite finishing with two bogeys, giving her a one-shot lead over Juli Inkster after the first round in French Lick, Ind.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
UConn linebacker Eli Thomas was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.
The school issued a statement saying the 220pound junior had the stroke Wednesday prior to a weightlifting session.
The school said Thomas was immediately transported to a hospital where he was stable and making “good progress toward recovery.”
The school declined to provide any other details, including what activities Thomas had participated in before the stroke.
TENNIS
Ukrainian twin brothers Gleb and Vadim Alekseenko have been banned from tennis for life and each fined $250,000 for multiple match-fixing and corrupt betting.
Independent anti-corruption hearing officer Richard McLaren found the brothers guilty based on an investigation by the Tennis Integrity Unit.
The 35-year-old brothers committed offenses in Romania, Russia, Germany, and Turkey from June 2015 to January 2016, and they solicited a third party to wager on matches in which they contrived the outcome.
Vadim is ranked No. 1,113 in singles and reached a career-best of 497 in June 2014. Gleb is No. 1,724 in singles with a career-high of 609 in May 2011.