CAL GIVES COACH JUSTIN WILCOX NEW 5-YEAR CONTRACT
California coach Justin Wilcox has signed a new fiveyear deal to stay under contract with the school through the 2023 season.
The deal signed Thursday adds two more years to the original contract signed in 2017. Wilcox also gets a raise and more money for his assistant coach pool.
Wilcox went 7-5 in his second season at Cal and is taking the Golden Bears to the Cheez-It Bowl later this month. He has a 12-12 record at Cal.
The Bears have shown marked improvement on defense under Wilcox. They ranked third in the Pac-12 in scoring and total defense and fifth in the NCAA in interceptions.
College Football Awards.
Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy wins the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver, beating out UMass star Andy Isabella and Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace. Jeudy is the second Crimson Tide player to win the Biletnikoff, joining Amari Cooper.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is the Home Depot coach of the year, one of three major awards announced Wednesday night, the day before the college football awards show.
LSU’s Devin White won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, becoming the first Tigers player to win the award.
Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. He is the first sophomore to win the award in its 19 years.
The Disney Spirit Award went to Purdue fan Tyler Trent, the 19-yearold student who is battling cone cancer. Trent gained fame when he was profiled by ESPN’s “College GameDay” before the Boilermakers played Ohio State. Trent was able to attend the game against the Buckeyes and predicted Purdue’s upset.
Bama QB tops Murray in total awards.
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa topped Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray in college football player of the year awards on Thursday, 2-1. Tagovailoa won the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards and Murray was named AP Player of the Year. Murray also won the Davey O’Brien as top quarterback. Tagovailoa was a finalists for that, too.
Now they will head to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday night. The other finalists is Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and for the first time in a few years, the Heisman ceremony will have some drama.
Ingram skips Lakers road trip.
CALIF.» Brandon Ingram is SEGUNDO, staying home from the Los Angeles Lakers’ upcoming two-game road trip due to his sprained left ankle.
Ingram will have a precautionary MRI exam Thursday night.
Ingram injured his ankle early in the Lakers’ 121-113 victory over San Antonio on Wednesday night when Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge flagrantly fouled him.
Ingram is the Lakers’ starting shooting guard and their third-leading scorer with 15.2 points per game. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft also averages 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
The Lakers (15-9) visit San Antonio on Friday night and Memphis on Saturday before returning home to face Miami on Monday.
The Lakers have won 13 of their last 17 during their first season with LeBron James.
Cubs’ closer has elbow surgery.
CHICAGO» Cubs closer Brandon Morrow likely will miss the start of the season following arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow last month.
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein says the operation took place Nov. 6.
Signed to a $21 million, two-year contract last December, Morrow led the Cubs with 22 saves and had a 1.47 ERA in 35 games. He did not pitch after July 15 because of a bone bruise in his right elbow.