Pistons, Dwane Casey agree to 5-year deal

A month after being fired by the Toronto Raptors, Dwane Casey agreed to a fiveyear deal to become head coach of the Detroit Pistons, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move, which was first reported by ESPN.

Casey led Toronto to a franchise-record 59 wins this year and helped them earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. The NBA coach of the year finalist was fired shortly after Toronto was swept by the Cavaliers with one year remaining on a three-year, $18 million dollar extension. He was 320-238 in seven seasons and is Toronto’s winningest coach.

Detroit has been looking for a coach for more than month since firing Stan Van Gundy, who was also its president of basketball operations. Michigan coach John Beilein was a finalist for the job before withdrawing his name from consideration last week and San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka also was a candidate.

The Pistons have made the playoffs once in nine years after advancing at least to the Eastern Conference finals six straight years, winning the 2004 NBA title and falling a victory short of repeating as champions in 2005.

The Pistons are still looking to hire someone to head their basketball operation. They did bring in Ed Stefanski as a senior executive to assist in searches for a new coach and head of basketball operations.

Casey coached the Minnesota Timberwolves for a little more than one season, going 53-69. He also has experience in the league as an assistant with Dallas and Seattle.

Casey, who is from Morganfield, Kentucky, played for the Wildcats and helped them win the 1978 NCAA title and began his coaching career the next year as a graduate assistant under Joe B. Hall. He later back to campus to work as an assistant for Eddie Sutton. He has five years of coaching experience in Japan and has spent time around the game in Europe.

Under Casey, the Raptors won four Atlantic Division titles and advanced to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons. But Toronto couldn’t get past Cleveland, losing to LeBron James and the Cavs in each of the past three playoffs.

NHL

CAPITALS BRING FIRST PARADE TO D.C. IN 26 YEARS » The Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals give the city its first parade for a major pro sports team Tuesday since the NFL’s Redskins in 1992. The parade is 26 years in the making for Washington sports fans.

Tens of thousands gathered for viewing parties of road playoff games on the way to the Capitals’ first championship since beginning play in 1974.

Since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in January 1992, the 1998 Capitals were the only Washington team in the NHL, NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball to reach a league semifinal until this spring, a drought of 74 combined seasons without a championship.

MLB

SUPREME COURT STAYS OUT OF WRIGLEY FIELD DISPUTE » The Supreme Court is leaving in place a court decision dismissing a lawsuit filed against the Chicago Cubs by the owners of rooftop clubs adjacent to Wrigley Field.

Skybox on Sheffield and Lakeview Baseball Club sued the Cubs in 2015, arguing in part that a right-field video board the team was adding would block their views of the ballpark and violate terms of a 2004 revenue-sharing agreement.

A federal judge dismissed the case. Judge Virginia Kendall said the board was allowed because the agreement allowed “any expansion of Wrigley Field approved by governmental authorities.”

A three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in September upheld the decision to dismiss the case. The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the case, leaving the lower court decisions in place.

“The opposition of rooftop owners and local aldermen to Wrigley Field renovations has unfortunately cost the team time and energy to refute allegations we understood from the beginning were meritless,” the team said in a statement.

Soccer

VIEIRA APPOINTED NICE MANAGER AFTER LEAVING NYC ROLE » Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has been hired as the new manager of French club Nice after leaving his role as head coach of New York City FC.

Both clubs announced the move on Monday, with Vieira replacing Lucien Favre at Nice.

Vieira will now return to his native France for his first coaching job in Europe. He led NYC to two consecutive playoff appearances and leaves with the team in second place in the Eastern Conference.

As a player, Vieira had stints at Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City, but spent nearly a decade at Arsenal and being a key part of Wenger’s title-winning sides.