Titans hire Vrabel as coach
The Tennessee Titans have hired Houston defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel as their coach in a fast search that wrapped up after three interviews and just five days after firing Mike Mularkey.
The Titans announced Saturday they have agreed to terms with Vrabel. A news conference is scheduled for Monday.
Vrabel was the first person Tennessee interviewed after firing Mularkey on Monday. College football: Stanford fullback Daniel Marx scored on a 1-yard run and Penn State linebacker Troy Apke earned the MVP award, helping the National team stifle the American team 23-0 in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
The game is meant to highlight players on the bubble of the NFL draft for scouts and teams.
The National team did all of its scoring in the second half, also getting touchdowns from Howard running back Anthony Philyaw and LSU defensive tackle Frank Herron’s fumble return.
Texas Tech’s Nic Shimonek threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Houston’s Steven Dunbar with 1:23 remaining to give the West a 14-10 victory in the 93rd EastWest Shrine game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Wisconsin safety Natrell Jamerson returned Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett’s fumble 68 yards for the West’s other TD. Soccer: Sergio Aguero’s hat trick led English Premier League leader Manchester City to a 3-1 home victory over Newcastle.
Second-placed Manchester United squeezed past host Burnley 1-0 with a 54th-minute goal from Anthony Martial.
Meanwhile, London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal warmed up in style for their midweek League Cup showdown by turning on the goal power. Eden Hazard scored twice and Chelsea crushed Brighton 4-0, while Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1.
There was a minute’s applause at all EPL games, and players wore black armbands, to pay tribute to former England striker Cyrille Regis, who died last Sunday at age 59.
Barcelona, which visits Real Betis aiming to remain undefeated in the league this season, can add to its commanding lead of the Spanish league after both Atletico Madrid and Valencia stumbled Saturday.
Atletico Madrid was left eight points behind Barcelona when it conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with Girona at home. Valencia wasted a chance to pull even with Atletico when it squandered a one-goal lead at Las Palmas, losing 2-1.
The LA Galaxy traded U.S. national team forward Gyasi Zardes to the Columbus Crew in exchange for forward Ola Kamara. The Crew also received $400,000 in targeted allocation money. Deaths: An autopsy report says Roy Halladay, a major-league pitcher in 1998-2013, had evidence of amphetamine, morphine and an insomnia drug in his system when he died in a small plane crash in Florida on Nov. 7. The National Transportation Safety Board hasn’t identified a cause for the crash, so it is unclear whether the drugs played a role.