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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Charlie Weis arrived at Notre Dame flashing Super Bowls rings and talking about outscheming opponents. He leaves one of college football’s most prestigious programs without even matching the record of the two men who were fired before him.
Athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision to fire Weis on Monday.
“For many of you who may have thought that was a foregone conclusion, I would say to you that the decision was harder than you might have thought, principally because of the man it involved,” Swarbrick said during a news conference on campus.
Swarbrick said there was a huge gulf between the coach’s brash image and personal style. But he still recommended to the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, on Sunday night that Weis be let go with six years left on his contract. Weis finishes with a 35-27 record in five seasons, among the worst of any Fighting Irish coach.
“He will go on to have great success. He’ll add some Super Bowl rings to the ones he already has as a successful coordinator in the NFL and we will miss him,” Swarbrick said. “But for us it’s time to move forward. It’s time to move forward because it is critical to this program and to its place in the university and college football that we compete at the highest level. That we compete for national championships.”
Assistant head coach Rob Ianello will step in for Weis until a new coach is hired.
The Fighting Irish (6-6) are eligible to play in a bowl game, but Swarbrick has said he wants to hear from the players before deciding if Notre Dame will go to a minor postseason game.
Following a 6-2 start this season, Notre Dame began a winless November with the second upset by Navy in three years. Then came losses to Pittsburgh and to Connecticut in double overtime on senior day in South Bend. By the time the Irish lost their season-finale to Stanford on Saturday, it seemed inevitable Weis would be gone.
Speculation about possible replacements for Weis has been rampant for weeks. Among the top names mentioned, Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops already have said they plan to stay where they are.
Speaking on a conference call Monday, Stoops said: “I’m going to be at Oklahoma next year, so I can’t be at two places at once.”
Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has also been mentioned, along with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and TCU’s Gary Patterson.
A self-confident offensive coordinator with the NFL champion New England Patriots when he was hired, Weis raised Irish expectations with back-to-back appearances in BCS bowl games in his first two seasons.
Since then, though, Notre Dame has gone 16-21 — the most losses by the Irish in a three-year span.
Weis’ record is worse than his two predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie, who also were fired. Notre Dame is now looking to hire its fifth coach this decade.
Weis received a new 10-year contract midway through his first season, shortly after a thriller against top-ranked USC that ended in a 34-31 Notre Dame loss.
It took a while for the light bulb to go on, but when it did, Jonas Gray finally showed the talent many had expected from the blue-chip prospect from Detroit. In a recent interview, Gray, who is rehabbing an ACL injury to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine, expressed the confidence and support he has for head coach Brian Kelly.
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Who's next? Now that Notre Dame has fired Charlie Weis, take a look at some of the potential candidates to take over for the Irish. more photos |
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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