Texans fire Smith after one season
Lovie Smith was fired as coach of the Houston Texans on Sunday night after just one season in which the team went 3-13-1.
It’s the second straight season in which the Texans have fired a coach after just one year. They parted ways with David Culley last January after he went 4-13 in his only season.
The Texans had the league’s worst record for most of the season, but won two of their last three games, capped by Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts that cost the team the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. holes without a bogey on the Plantation Course when it all fell apart with his wedges and his putter.
“It’s going to hurt, but I’ve got to get over it because we’re still in the very early parts of the season,” the La Cañada High graduate said.
Novak Djokovic showed no signs of an injury that might derail his Australian Open campaign when he beat unseeded American Sebastian Korda 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3), 6-4 to win the Adelaide International in Australia. Djokovic said his tight-hamstring injury eased as the match progressed in a marathon final that lasted more than three hours and finished with Djokovic claiming his 92nd career singles title. Second-seeded Aryna
Sabalenka claimed her 11th WTA Tour singles title but her first in almost two years when she overcame qualifier Linda Noskova 6-2 7-6 (4) in the women’s final . ... Topseeded American Coco Gauff capped a commanding start to the new season by beating Spanish qualifier Viktoria Masarova 6-1, 6-1 in the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. ... The United States claimed the inaugural United Cup in convincing fashion with an overpowering display over Italy in the final of the mixed teams event in Sydney.
Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a knee injury, manager Graham Potter said.
The U.S. winger hurt his right knee while attempting a shot on goal in a 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Thursday in the Premier League.
Mikaela Shiffrin matched Lindsey Vonn’s women’s World Cup skiing record with her 82nd win. Shiffrin led from start to finish to win a giant slalom by a large margin in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and can break Vonn’s mark in a night slalom scheduled for Flachau, Austria, on Tuesday . ... In Adelboden, Switzerland, Lucas Braathen
beat his childhood friend Atle Lie McGrath for the win in a World Cup slalom.
Chicago White Sox AllStar closer Liam Hendriks says he has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Hendriks announced on Instagram that he was diagnosed in recent days and was scheduled to begin treatment on Monday.
Brooklyn forward Kevin Durant left in the second half of the Nets’ game in Miami with a right knee injury. Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said Durant will be evaluated Monday.
South Dakota State won its first FCS national championship with a 45-21 win over North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas . ... Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong announced on social media that he is transferring to North Carolina State.