Cardinals hope Kingsbury can revive offense
The Arizona Cardinals have hired former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL.
The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday after a long interview earlier in the day, saying Kingsbury had agreed to terms on a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth. He was to be introduced at a news conference at the team’s training facility in Tempe today.
Kingsbury was fired after going 3540 in six seasons at Texas Tech, but his teams were known for their highscoring performances. His prize pupil in those days was current Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Tuesday’s hiring came barely a month after Kingsbury was hired as offensive coordinator at USC.
Kingsbury, also a former offensive coordinator at Texas A&M where he worked with Johnny Manziel, replaces Steve Wilks, who was fired after going an NFL-worst 3-13 in his one season in Arizona.
That means Kingsbury will take over a team with the No. 1 overall draft pick, along with a bevy of other picks and lots of salary cap space. BUCS GET ARIANS >> Bruce Arians, 66, came out of a one-year retirement to fill Tampa Bay’s fifth coaching vacancy in a decade. Arians replaces Dirk Koetter, who was dismissed Dec. 30 after leading the Bucs to 19 wins and no playoffs berths over the past three seasons.
Arians coached the Arizona Cardinals for five years, stepping down after the 2017 season with a 50-32-1 record that included one division title, two playoff berths, three seasons with double-digit wins and one NFC Championship game appearance.
NBA
TIMBERWOLVES GET WIN FOR NEW COACH >> Andrew Wiggins had a season-high 40 points and 10 rebounds, and the Timberwolves beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-117 on the road in Ryan Saunders’ first game as Minnesota’s interim coach. Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points for the Timberwolves.
Paul George scored 27 points, and Steven Adams added 20 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City.
Guard Derrick Rose missed his sixth straight game for Minnesota with a sprained right ankle.
Hockey
DRIVER IN DEADLY HOCKEY TEAM CRASH PLEADS GUILTY >> The driver whose transport truck crashed into a hockey team bus in Canada, killing 16 people, pleaded guilty Tuesday to all charges against him. Thirteen others were injured when Jaskirat Singh Sidhu’s truck loaded with peat moss collided with the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus in rural Saskatchewan in April.
The 30-year-old Sidhu pleaded guilty to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
“His position to me was, ‘I just want to plead guilty. I don’t want you to plea bargain. I don’t want a trial,’ ” Sidhu’s lawyer, Mark Brayford, said outside court.
NHL
FLYERS USE RECORD-TYING SEVENTH GOALIE >> The Philadelphia Flyers tied an NHL record with Mike McKenna becoming their seventh goaltender to play this season in a 5-3 loss to the Capitals. McKenna started, with Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Calvin Pickard, Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz and Carter Hart having also tended goal for Philadelphia.
Winter sports
SHIFFRIN STREAK ENDS >> Petra Vlhova won a women’s World Cup night slalom in Flachau, Austria, denying Mikaela Shiffrin a record-equaling eighth consecutive win in the discipline. Vlhova had finished runner-up to Shiffrin in each of the previous five slaloms this season, and is the only skier other than the American to have won a women’s slalom since the start of last season.
Racing in dense snowfall, Vlhova was third after the opening run but posted the fastest second-run time.
Baseball
PAYROLLS DROP IN MLB >> Spending on Major League Baseball payrolls dropped last season for the first time since 2010, an $18 million decrease attributable to drug and domestic violence suspensions and a player retiring at midseason. Still, even a year with flat payrolls is unusual for MLB. The only previous drops since 2002 were by $3 million in 2010 and by $32 million in 2004.
World Series champion Boston had the highest payroll for the first time since the free-agent era started in 1976 at $230 million. The Giants had the second-highest regular payroll at $210 million, followed by the Chicago Cubs at $199 million. The A’s were 28th at $78 million.
HERRERA JOINS WHITE SOX >> Two-time All-Star reliever Kelvin Herrera and the Chicago White Sox have finalized an $18 million, two-year contract. The 29-year-old right-hander had a 2.44 ERA with 17 saves in 48 games last year for Kansas City and the Washington Nationals.
Tennis
FISH IS NEW DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN >> Former top-10 player Mardy Fish has been selected as the new captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, replacing Jim Courier. The 37-year-old Fish retired from the men’s professional tennis tour in 2015 after dealing with anxiety disorder.
He won six titles in singles and eight in doubles, played in the Davis Cup from 2002-2012 and won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. Fish reached the quarterfinals at three Grand Slam tournaments and reached a career-best ranking of No. 7.
High schools
ALABAMA LEGISLATORS WANT PLAYER REINSTATED >> Suspended prep basketball player Maori Davenport has addressed Alabama’s Republican and Democratic caucuses about her situation. Davenport and her parents visited the Statehouse and several lawmakers have urged the Alabama High School Athletic Association to reinstate the player. USA Basketball gave her an $857.20 check for “lost wages” after she played for the team in a tournament last summer.
USA Basketball reported the payment a few months later and Davenport’s family repaid the money.