Saban says job was not offered to Smith

Alabama football coach Nick Saban denied offering a job to Ohio State former assistant Zach Smith last year, citing the results of a background check as the reason.

The Crimson Tide’s connection with Smith surfaced with the release Friday of Buckeyes former coach Urban Meyer’s texts and emails by Ohio State after an external investigation into what he knew about allegations of domestic violence made by Smith’s exwife, Courtney Smith.

Meyer fired Smith in July 2018. Months earlier, Saban talked to Smith about a job, although accounts differ about whether an offer was extended.

“We talk to a lot of coaches about a lot of things,” Saban said Saturday at the Tide’s media day. “I really never did offer this guy a job. We did interview him and he did a nice job in the interview. But it’s when we did the background check, that we decided that it was a better opportunity to hire somebody else.”

Ohio State investigated Meyer and suspended him for mishandling previous issues involving Smith. Meyer retired after 2018. The Buffalo Sabres avoided arbitration rulings by reaching agreements to sign defenseman Jake McCabe and goalie Linus Ullmark. McCabe agreed to a twoyear $5.7-million contract, Ullmark to a one-year $1.325-million deal.

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. reached the second WTA final of her career and will play Camila Giorgi of Italy on Sunday in the hard-court Citi Open at Washington. The 79th-ranked Pegula, whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Sabres, advanced by beating qualifier Anna Kalinskaya of Russia 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Giorgi made it to her seventh final with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over 17year-old American Caty McNally. Dominic Thiem won his 14th career ATP title and first in his homeland by defeating Albert Ramos

Vinolas of Spain 7-6 (0), 6-1 at the Generali Open in Austria.

Colby Covington wagged his tongue, landed his strikes, and coasted to a unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler in the 170pound UFC main event in Newark, N.J . ... Adam Kownacki scored a unanimous decision over Riverside’s Chris Arreola in a heavyweight boxing match at New York. Former champion Jean Pascal scored an eighth-round technical decision over Marcus Browne to capture the World Boxing Assn. interim light-heavyweight title. Austin Cindric won on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott captured the pole position for Sunday’s Cup race.

McKinzie ran to a 13⁄4-length victory in the $1-million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York. McKinzie, trained by Bob Baffert, covered the 11⁄8-mile race in 1 minute 47.10 seconds under Mike Smith.

Wide receiver Cliff Branch, who won three Super Bowls with the Raiders in Oakland and Los Angeles, died at age 71, the Raiders said in a statement.