Paul Westphal, Hall of Fame basketball player, dies at 70
Paul Westphal, a Hall of Fame player who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and later coached in the league and in college, has died. He was 70.
The Phoenix Suns confirmed Westphal’s death in a statement Saturday. No cause was given, although he had been diagnosed with brain cancer last August.
A five- time All- Star guard, Westphal played in the NBA from 1972-84. After winning a championship with the Celtics, he made the finals in 1976 with Phoenix. He also played for Seattle and the New York Knicks.
After his playing career ended, Westphal moved into coaching. He led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993, and also was head coach of Seattle and Sacramento. At the college level, he coached at Southwestern Baptist Bible College (now Arizona Christian University), Grand Canyon and Pepperdine.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
College football
TEXAS FIRES HERMAN, HIRES TIDE OC SARKISIAN » Texas abruptly fired Tom Herman after four seasons, then followed it hours later with the announcement it has hired Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to build the Longhorns back into shape.
Sarkisian has directed an overwhelming Crimson Tide offense this season that has produced two Heisman Trophy finalists in quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith, and has Alabama rolling into the Jan. 11 College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State. He recently won the Broyles Award given to college football’s top assistant coach.
Sarkisian, 46, also has previous head coaching experience at Washington and Southern California. He has been Alabama’s offensive coordinator under head coach Nick Saban since 2019.
Herman was 32-18 in his four seasons with four bowl victories and still had three years left on a guaranteed contract set to pay him more than $6 million per year.
OLE MISS TO REWARD KIFFIN WITH NEW CONTRACT »
Mississippi says it has reached agreement in principle with coach Lane Kiffin on a new contract.
The school made the announcement hours before the Rebels (4- 5) — in their first season with Kiffin as coach — faced Indiana in the Outback Bowl. It is their first bowl appearance in five seasons.
Ole Miss broke the Southeastern Conference record for total offense in conference games, averaging 562.4 yards, and ranks among the top 20 nationally among Bowl Subdivision teams in 10 categories. Those also include scoring offense (40.7), rushing offense (217.7), passing offense (344.8) and passing yards per completion (14.99). The Rebels completed 71.4% of their passes and converted on third down 50.4% of the time.
Pro football
FLOYD LITTLE, SYRACUSE AND BRONCOS GREAT, DIES AT 78 » Floyd Little, the Hall of Fame running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died. He was 78. The Pro Football Hall of Fame said he died Friday night. No cause was given.
Little was a three-time All-American at Syracuse. From 1964- 66, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns.
Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Little rushed for 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns and caught 215 passes for 2,418 yards and nine TDs. He had the most all-purpose yards in pro football and ranked second only to O. J. Simpson in yards rushing over his career. KAMARA ON COVID-19 LIST, COULD MISS SAINTS’ PLAYOFF OPENER » The New Orleans Saints have placed running back Alvin Kamara, who leads the club in both yards rushing and receiving, on their COVID-19 reserve list.
The move means Kamara is unavailable for Sunday’s regular- season finale at Carolina and also could miss the Saints’ first playoff game if New Orleans is unable to move up to the NFC’s top seed.
Kamara has 932 yards and 16 TDs rushing to go with 756 yards and five TDs receiving this season. His touchdowns rushing and 21 total touchdowns from scrimmage are Saints single-season records. BROWNS DOWN 2 MORE COACHES » Unable to practice most of the week due to COVID-19 cases and protocols, the Browns said that offensive line coach Bill Callahan and assistant line coach Scott Peters will both miss Sunday’s game against the Steelers as Cleveland tries to lock up its first postseason berth since 2002.
The Browns will return to the playoffs for just their second time in their expansion era with a win over their hated rivals, who will sit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, defensive stars T. J. Watt and Cam Heyward and other starters.
Soccer
4 EPL PLAYERS BREACH LOCKDOWN WITH PARTY » Four Premier League players from Tottenham and West Ham broke English lockdown laws by gathering inside a house together over Christmas just after the government had tightened coronavirus restrictions in response to a new transmissible variant.
The revelation came as the league was forced to call off a third game this week, with a worsening COVID-19 outbreak at Fulham leading to Sunday’s game at Burnley being postponed.
Tottenham and West Ham condemned the inter-household mixing by their players, which was revealed by a photo posted on social media.
Tottenham trio Erik Lamela, Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso were pictured close together with West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini and other people inside a home.
The restrictions imposed in the London area prevent people from visiting another house, apart from someone in a support bubble.
SON SCORES 100TH TOTTENHAM GOAL IN WIN OVER LEEDS »
Son Heung-min scored his 100th Tottenham goal in a 3- 0 victory over Leeds that ended a four-game winless run and sent Jose Mourinho’s side up to third place in the Premier League.
Son also set up the third with a corner headed in by Toby Alderweireld five minutes into the second half.