49ers' passing game coordinator Slowik joins Ryans in Houston
49ers assistant coach Bobby Slowik is moving up and moving on, joining DeMeco Ryans as offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.
Slowik, 35, arrived as a quality control coach as Ryans did when Kyle Shanahan took over as 49ers head coach in 2017. His title was passing game specialist in 2021 and passing game coordinator a year ago.
The news was first reported by NFL Network and confirmed by a league source.
Given Ryans' background is in defense, Slowik will be the the play-caller and play designer for a new offensive system. There's a ceiling to how much responsibility an offensive coach gets with the 49ers given in that Shanahan runs the team's offense.
The staff was juggled last season after the departure of longtime Shanahan assistant Mike McDaniel, who became head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Chris Foerster added the title “run game coordinator” to his duties coaching the offensive line and Slowik was the “passing game coordinator.”
The presence of Ryans and Slowik in Houston could mean an interest in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when the free agency signing period opens March 13. The Texans own the No. 2 pick in the draft and could have their pick of any quarterback available including Alabama's Bryce Young. Chicago, with the No. 1 pick, selected Justin Fields in the first round last season.
Other 49ers scheduled for free agency who could be in play include safety Jimmie Ward, tackle Mike McGlinchey, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, center Jake Brendel, tackle/guard Daniel Brunskill and tackle Colton McKivitz.
The 49ers have made no announcements regarding changes to the coaching staff and aren't expect to make the hiring of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks official until coaches return from vacation.
Golf SCHEFFLER REPEATS AT PHOENIX OPEN TO REGAIN NO. 1 RANKING >>
Scottie Scheffler successfully defended his WM Phoenix Open title at TPC Scottsdale to regain the No. 1 spot in the world.
Scheffler closed with a
6-under 65 to beat Nick Taylor by two strokes on the Stadium Course. The 26-year-old Texan took the No. 1 ranking from Rory McIlroy with his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Last year, Scheffler beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff for his first tour title. Scheffler added victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Match Play and the Masters and was the PGA Tour's player of the year.
Scheffler made a 22-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th to break a tie with Taylor, then took a two-shot lead on the par-3 16th when he rolled in a 15-footer for par after hitting his tee shot far left on the stadium hole.
Scheffler birdied the par-4 17th with a 5-foot putt and closed with a par to finish at 19-under 265. He earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse in the second of the PGA Tour's new designated events, created to bring the top players together more often.
Chico High graduate Kurt Kitayama shot a 66 on Sunday and finished tied for 23rd.
Hockey SENS' FORSBERG OUT INDEFINITELY WITH MCL TEAR IN BOTH KNEES >>
Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is out indefinitely after tearing the medial collateral ligament in both of his knees during a game against Edmonton, general manager Pierre Dorion announced.
Forsberg was injured late in the third period Saturday when Senators defenseman Travis Hamonic pushed Oilers winger Zach Hyman on
top of the goaltender during a scramble. Forsberg had to be removed from the ice on a stretcher.
The 30-year-old Forsberg has an 11-11-2 record and a .902 save percentage in 28 appearances this season.
Women's college basketball NO. 6 STANFORD 96, ARIZONA STATE 64 >>
Agnes EmmaNnopu had a career-high 17 points and Cameron Brink had 15 points and eight rebounds despite playing only 12 minutes to help No. 6 Stanford to a lopsided 9664 victory over Arizona State in a Pac-12 game.
Emma-Nnopu made five 3-pointers and Hannah Jump added 12 points, making four from behind the arc. Each made four threepointers in the first half. The Cardinal (24-3, 12-2 Pac-12) were 12 of 23 from distance, with nine makes in the first half.
“Tag-team basketbalI,” Brink said. “Everyone contributed. Everyone played really well.”
Guard Tyi Skinner had 23 points for the Sun Devils (716, 0-14), who have lost 14 in a row.
Tennis YIBING 1ST CHINESE PLAYER IN ATP FINAL AT DALLAS OPEN >>
Wu Yibing became the first Chinese player to reach an ATP Tour final, rallying for a three-set victory over top-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the Dallas Open.
Wu will play John Isner, who also won after dropping the first set and advanced to the final of his hometown event with a victory
over fellow American J.J. Wolf.
Wu won 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4 and survived all nine break points he faced, including five when down a set and trailing 2-1 in the second. Fritz had 20 aces to Wu's six, but Wu capitalized on two of his four break chances.
Wu broke Fritz to take a 6-5 lead in the second set before breaking the eighth-ranked Fritz, highest among Americans, for a 3-2 lead in the deciding set.
Olympics IOC'S BACH SAYS OLYMPICS ON HISTORY'S SIDE IN RUSSIA ISSUE >>
Insisting sports had to respect the human rights of all athletes, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach denied that the organization was on the wrong side of history by helping Russians and Belarusians qualify for the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
Bach and the IOC have faced a widespread backlash from Ukraine and its allies, including comments directed at him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, since setting out a path last month for some athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to international competition despite the war waged by their countries.
When asked at the Alpine skiing world championships if the IOC could be on the wrong side of history, Bach dismissed the suggestion.
“No, history will show who is doing more for peace. The ones who try to keep lines open, to communicate, or the ones who want to isolate or divide,” the IOC leader said.