Pete Carroll’s

Steve Sarkisian is the new head football coach at USC, leaving Washington to return to the Trojans.

USC announced Sarkisian’s hiring Monday, replacing interim coach Ed Orgeron with yet another assistant coach from championship-winning era at the school.

The 39-year-old Sarkisian is a Los Angeles-area native who went 34-29 in five seasons at Washington, rebuilding a decimated program into a bowl contender.

Sarkisian is the permanent replacement for Lane Kiffin, his former cooffensive coordinator at USC under Carroll. Kiffin was fired in late September and replaced by Orgeron, who didn’t get the permanent job from Athletic Director Pat Haden despite going 6-2.

» Shabazz Napier hit a jumper from the free-throw line as time expired to keep host No. 12 Connecticut (8-0) undefeated with a 65-64 victory over No. 15 Florida (6-2) in Storrs.

» Dustin Hogue set career highs with 22 points and 16 rebounds, and host 17th-ranked Iowa State (6-0) pounded Auburn (4-2) 99-70 in Ames.

» Michigan coach Brady Hoke says he expects QB Devin Gardner to return next season and anticipates retaining all of his assistant coaches.

Gardner was granted a fifth year of eligibility because of a back injury he had as a freshmen after he played sparingly. Hoke says he plans to evaluate the entire football program, including his staff, as he does after each season.

» Arizona State’s Sophie Brunner was named the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week.

Brunner averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while connecting on 82 percent of her shots in helping the Sun Devils win their games vs. Illinois, thenNo. 11 North Carolina and Arkansas State at this past weekend’s Cancun Classic.

» After recording a career-high 36 digs in her final match in McKale Center, senior libero Candace Nicholson earned Arizona’s first-ever Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honor.

A baseball official with knowledge of the deal says the Seattle Mariners are on the verge of bringing back utilityman