Off the wire

FOOTBALL

UCF’s interim AD steps down

University of Central Florida Coach George O’Leary is relinquishing his job as the school’s interim athletic director. O’Leary said Monday he is stepping down from the athletic director job immediately. He will remain Central Florida’s football coach. Brad Stricklin, the school’s chief financial officer, will take over the AD job. O’Leary took over the athletic director job last June after Todd Stansbury accepted a position with Oregon State. The football team has struggled this season with a 0-6 record. The Knights lost to UConn last Saturday 40-13.

Rutgers Coach Kyle Flood has returned to his coaching duties and apologized for contacting a faculty member about a player’s grade. Flood spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since serving a three-game suspension. He said he should have known the rules, and doesn’t have concerns about his job security going forward. Rutgers had suspended Flood and fined him $50,000. While he could coach the team during weekly practices, Flood could not coach on game days and was not allowed to be in contact with the team on game days. He was also not allowed to speak to members of the media during his suspension. Rutgers went 1-2 in Flood’s absence. The Scarlet Knights travel to Indiana on Saturday.

Louisiana-Lafayette officials said their football program is under investigation by the NCAA because a former assistant coach allegedly schemed to fraudulently boost certain recruits’ standardized test scores. Documents released by the university this week, in response to public records requests by The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette, La., allege that former assistant coach David Saunders also funneled cash to a recruit who was attending a junior college. Saunders was an assistant at Arkansas State in 1996-1997. Louisiana-Lafayette Athletic Director Scott Farmer said university officials “take the allegations very seriously” and are cooperating fully with the NCAA. Louisiana-Lafayette also has begun operating under self-imposed sanctions which include vacating the 2011 season, placing itself on two years’ probation, a reduction in 11 scholarships spread over three seasons and a reduction in recruiting activities.

Authorities said a University of South Florida football player has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun on campus. University police said 21-year-old freshman reserve offensive lineman Benjamin Knox fired at a dorm from a parking garage early Sunday. Police said they found spent shell casings on the ground and an open gun case and ammunition inside a vehicle belonging to Knox. According to police, the shots appeared to have been fired randomly. No one was injured. Officers said they found a gun when they arrested Knox at his dorm. He was held on $15,000 bond on charges of discharging a firearm on school property and shooting into a building. Hillsborough County jail records didn’t show whether he had an attorney. The school has suspended Knox from team activities.

Police said former Texas A&M wide receiver Thomas Johnson has admitted to randomly attacking and killing a man on a Dallas jogging trail. Dallas police Deputy Chief Rob Sherwin said Johnson admitted to killing a jogger with a “large-edged weapon” in a random act of rage on the White Rock Creek Trail early Monday. Johnson was arrested after calling 911 from a nearby equestrian center. Johnson is being held without bond. Authorities haven’t released the victim’s name. Johnson played for the Aggies in 2012. He had three catches for 22 yards in A&M’s 29-24 victory at top-ranked Alabama.

BASKETBALL

Rose could be cleared to return

Derrick Rose may be cleared to begin activity within a week, and be able to practice shortly thereafter, Chicago Bulls Coach Fred Hoiberg said Monday. The Bulls haven’t ruled Rose out for the opening game of the regular season against Cleveland Oct. 27. He had surgery Sept. 30 on a fractured left orbital bone suffered in practice a day earlier. “Derrick, hopefully in another week, will be able to start getting active again, and then hopefully start practicing shortly thereafter,” Hoiberg said. Rose was at the United Center for the Bulls’ preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, but likely wouldn’t be on the bench, Hoiberg said. “He’s still getting a little bit of blurred vision, so I feel it’s best for him to watch the game in the back,” Hoiberg said. “But I know he’s excited to be here and be with the guys in the locker room.”

Louisville said assistant coach Ralph Willard will take an indefinite medical leave of absence from the program to address an unspecified health issue. David Padgett, the Cardinals’ director of basketball operations, has been moved into an assistant coach’s position to replace Willard, a 39-year veteran who rejoined Rick Pitino’s staff in April. Willard guided Louisville against a Pitino-led Puerto Rican national team in August. Willard expressed disappointment in a statement Monday, but Pitino said his concern is making sure Willard “gets healthy and has a speedy recovery from some problems that need immediate attention.” Padgett was a three-year Louisville starter in 2005-2008 and played professionally in Spain before serving three seasons as an IUPUI assistant.

TENNIS

Vesnina wins in China

Elena Vesnina advanced to the second round of the Tianjin (China) Open by beating fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-2, 6-4 Monday. Defending champion Alison Riske of United States also reached the next round after overcoming Han Xinyun of China 6-0, 6-4. Also, fifth-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France beat Liu Fangzhou of China 6-0, 6-1; sixth-seeded Teliana Pereira of Brazil defeated Nao Hibino of Japan 7-5, 6-2; and Evgeniya Rodina of Russia beat eighth-seeded Zheng Saisai of China 7-5, 6-3.

Former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic fought off a match point before rallying to defeat local hope Wu Di of China 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the opening round of the Shanghai (China) Masters. The 14th-seeded Cilic only allowed Wu two games in their previous encounter four years ago, but was tested by the 24-year-old Chinese player in front of hometown crowd. The No. 227-ranked Wu saved 11 of the 14 break points he faced and broke the big-serving Croatian three times in the match. Wu got to match point with Cilic serving at 4-5 in the third set, but the Croatian saved it with his 13th ace of the match and closed the game out with his 14th ace. He then raced out to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak and held on for the win. Cilic finished with 50 winners, more than double his Chinese opponent. In other matches, John Isner smashed 20 aces to defeat France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-2 in 45 minutes. The 13th-seeded American lost only six points on his first serve and saved the only break point he faced in the second set. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios hit 13 aces and saved all five break points he faced to beat Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-3, 6-2. He will next face Japanese star Kei Nishikori, who had a first-round bye. “Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) victory over Jeremy Chardy and will next play Rafael Nadal, who is coming off a runner-up finish at last week’s China Open in Beijing.

Margarita Gasparyan of Russia rallied from a break down in the final set to beat Carina Witthoeft of Germany 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 on the opening day of the Generali Ladies in Linsz, Australia. Gasparyan, who won her maiden WTA title in Baku in August, converted all six break points to set up a second-round match against last year’s finalist Camila Giorgi of Italy or Julia Goerges of Germany. Earlier, Anna-Lena Friedsam defeated Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3. The 118th-ranked German dropped her opening service game but won 12 of the next 16 games, and will now face either the top-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic or Andreea Mitu of Romania. Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium also advanced by beating Varvara Lepchenko of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (3).

HOCKEY

Wild assistant sentenced

Minnesota Wild assistant coach Darryl Sydor has been sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to driving drunk this summer. In a plea deal, a judge Monday gave Sydor 60 days in jail, to be served in installments over four years. Sydor’s attorney, Ryan Pacyga, said Sydor will serve the first installment over two weekends, starting Friday. If the judge determines Sydor is complying with probation, the future jail time can be waived. Sydor was jailed on drunken-driving charges in August after authorities said he became lost trying to take his 12-year-old son to a hockey tournament. In a statement, Sydor apologized and said he was “deeply saddened and humbled” by his actions. The Wild said they’ll address his return to the team later.