AP Sports Summary for January 12th, 2024.
Patriots' 'partnership' with Bill Belichick comes to an end after 24 seasons, 6 Super Bowl titles
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league's Super Bowl era. Belichick became just the third coach in NFL history to reach 300 career regular-season wins, joining Hall of Famers Don Shula and George Halas. Belichick trails only Shula for the record for victories by a coach. But this season, finishing with a 4-13 record, was Belichick's worst in 29 seasons as an NFL head coach.
Bill Belichick is out in New England, so what's next for the 6-time Super Bowl champion?
Now that Bill Belichick is out as coach of the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, the question turns to where will the six-time Super Bowl champion go next. Belichick needs just 15 wins to surpass Don Shula's all-time record of 347 in the regular season and playoffs and could have options about where to go if he wants to go after that record. There are already seven other coaching openings outside of New England with the Raiders, Chargers, Panthers, Falcons, Commanders, Titans and Seahawks all looking for new head coaches.
Nick Saban is latest championship-winning coach to exit amid drastic changes to college sports
When Nick Saban retired after 17 seasons and six national title with the Crimson Tide, he joined Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina's Roy Williams, Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw and Villanova's Jay Wright has championship-winning college coaches in high-profile sports to call it a career over the last four years. They have have all talked about how the evolving landscape of college sports with players being paid through name, image and likeness deals and almost unfettered transfers has changed the profession they love. But Saban insisted the changes did not push him into retirement.
NCAA takes step toward determining if new tier of Division I where athletes can be paid is possible
PHOENIX (AP) — The NCAA has taken the first step toward determining whether President Charlie Baker's idea to create a new subdivision in which schools directly pay athletes can become a reality. The Division I Board of Directors asked policy makers to evaluate a proposal Baker made last month. Baker said he wants the association to create a new tier of Division I sports that would require participating schools to offer at least $30,000 per year through a trust fund to some athletes. The proposal now goes to the Division I Council.
Thunder roll past Trail Blazers 139-77, tie fifth-biggest victory margin in NBA history
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Josh Giddey had a triple-double and Oklahoma City rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers 139-77 on Thursday night, a 62-point victory that matched the fifth-largest rout in NBA history. Oklahoma City shattered its previous record for victory margin of 45 points, set twice during the 2012-13 season. The Thunder moved into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the Western Conference at 26-11. Jalen Williams scored 21 points, Chet Holmgren scored 19 points and Giddey had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his ninth career triple-double. The Trail Blazers shot just 27.7% from the field.
NBA's In-Season Tournament will 'no doubt' return next season, Commissioner Silver says
PARIS (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the In-Season Tournament will "no doubt" be back next season with some unspecified tweaks. So, most likely, will another regular-season trip to Paris — perhaps this time with multiple games for the teams selected. Silver touched on both of those possibilities for the 2024-25 schedule on Thursday before the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers played the NBA's third regular-season game in Paris. Silver says team presidents recently discussed changes for the In-Season tournament, which wrapped up last month with the Lakers winning the title in Las Vegas. Silver also said the NBA is looking forward to playing again next season in France, a market that has become of greater importance to the league.
AP Top 25's highly ranked teams look vulnerable after 2 days of losses to unranked foes
It's been a rough few days for the headliners in the AP Top 25. Four of the top five and half of the top 10 have lost on the road to unranked teams. No. 1 Purdue lost at Nebraska. No. 2 Houston lost at Iowa State. No. 3 Kansas lost to UCF. No. 5 Tennessee lost to Mississippi State. And No. 9 Oklahoma lost to TCU. Each came in the past two days. It's a reminder how much college basketball's natural order has changed in the era of older teams, the transfer portal and talent dispersed across the country.
Coco Gauff enters the Australian Open as a teenage Grand Slam champion. The pressure is off
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff is entering the Australian Open as a reigning Grand Slam champion. It's new territory for the 19-year-old American. Had she not fulfilled expectations at the last U.S. Open last September, this would have been her last shot at being a teenage major winner. Now that the pressure is off, she's happy to discuss ambitions that include 10 or more major titles and also Olympic medals. The first Australian Open to be staged over 15 days starts on Sunday at Melbourne Park.
Marcus Stroman and Yankees agree to $37 million, 2-year contract, AP source says
NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that pitcher Marcus Stroman and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $37 million, two-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Stroman posted an Instagram story with a photo of himself in a Yankees uniform. The right-hander grew up on Long Island, about 55 miles from Yankee Stadium. Stroman joins a Yankees rotation headed by AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole that likely will include Clarke Schmidt. Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes are coming off injury-plagued seasons.
Soto gets record $31 million, 1-year deal with Yankees. Guerrero asks for $19.9M from Blue Jays
NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $31 million, one-year contract that broke Shohei Ohtani's record for an arbitration-eligible player. Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. filed for $19.9 million, the high among 23 players who exchanged figures with their teams among 194 eligible for arbitration at the start of the day. Among others who agreed to deals were New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso ($20.5 million), Milwaukee right-hander Corbin Burnes ($15,637,500), Atlanta left-hander Max Fried ($15 million), Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres ($14.2 million), Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber ($13,125,000), Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames ($12.25 million), Houston left-hander Framber Valdez ($12.1 million) and Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker ($12 million).
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Cleveland 111 Brooklyn 102
Final Milwaukee 135 Boston 102
Final Oklahoma City 139 Portland 77
Final Dallas 128 New York 124
Final Phoenix 127 L.A. Lakers 109
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Seattle 4 Washington 1
Final Buffalo 5 Ottawa 3
Final OT N-Y Islanders 4 Toronto 3
Final San Jose 3 Montreal 2
Final OT Edmonton 3 Detroit 2
Final OT Vancouver 4 Pittsburgh 3
Final Carolina 6 Anaheim 3
Final OT Tampa Bay 4 New Jersey 3
Final OT Florida 3 Los Angeles 2
Final Winnipeg 2 Chicago 1
Final St. Louis 5 N-Y Rangers 2
Final Calgary 6 Arizona 2
Final OT Vegas 2 Boston 1
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (10)Illinois 71 Michigan St. 68
Final Santa Clara 77 (23)Gonzaga 76
Final (24)FAU 85 Tulane 84
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Houston at Detroit 7:30 p.m.
Indiana at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte at San Antonio 8 p.m.
Golden State at Chicago 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Memphis 8 p.m.
Orlando at Miami 8 p.m.
Portland at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Toronto at Utah 9:30 p.m.
New Orleans at Denver 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Nashville at Dallas 8 p.m.
Philadelphia at Minnesota 8 p.m.
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