Penn State hires coach with Big Ten roots
Penn State has hired Taylor Stubblefield as its wide receivers coach Sunday, replacing Gerad Parker, who left to become West Virginia’s offensive coordinator earlier this month.
“Taylor has a strong familiarity with the Big Ten Conference,” coach James Franklin said. “He was an elite wide receiver as an All-American at Purdue, setting NCAA, Big Ten and school receiving records, some of which he still holds today. He will bring his passion and knowledge to our young wide receiver room.”
Stubblefield was an outstanding receiver with the Boilermakers and still holds the Big Ten record for career receptions, with 316. Stubblefield most recently spent the 2018 season with Miami.
Baseball
The Royals and left fielder Alex Gordon are “getting close” to a oneyear agreement for him to return for the 2020 season, according to sources. A deal could be announced by Tuesday or Wednesday, once he has completed his physical. Gordon, 35, hit .266 in 2019 with 13 home runs and 76 RBIs, his highest RBI total since 2013.
• The Astros will interview veteran skipper Dusty Baker for their open manager spot Monday. Baker, 70, has also come up in discussions in the Mets’ front office. Both clubs, along with the Red Sox, are looking for new managers. The Astros have already interviewed three candidates this week: Buck Showalter, John Gibbons and Will Venable. Houston bench coach Joe Espada also is in the mix for the job. Houston’s goal is to name a new manager by Feb. 3, owner Jim Crane said, so that the club can then turn its attention to hiring its next general manager.
MMA
Conor McGregor didn’t mention a specific opponent he’d want next after beating Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds Saturday night in the main event of UFC 246.
“I don’t think ‘the who’ matters,” McGregor said at the postfight news conference.
UFC president Dana White, though, did not share that sentiment. For White, there is only one foe who should be next for McGregor: Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov, the undefeated UFC lightweight champion, beat McGregor by fourth-round submission at UFC 229 in October 2018.
Auto racing
Kyle Larson scored one of the biggest victories of his career by ending an 0-for-12 streak to finally win the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Larson passed Christopher Bell with 17 laps left to end his frustrating streak of futility and deny Bell a fourth consecutive win in the prestigious dirt race. Bell passed Larson on the final lap of last year’s Chili Bowl to hand the NASCAR star a crushing defeat.