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Sports in Brief: Auburn's Malzahn named coach of the year

Gus Malzahn, who turned second-ranked Auburn (12-1) into the Southeastern Conference football champion a year after its worst season in decades and has the Tigers in the national championship game Jan. 6 against No. 1 Florida State, was named the Associated Press national coach of the year on Monday.

Gus Malzahn, who turned second-ranked Auburn (12-1) into the Southeastern Conference football champion a year after its worst season in decades and has the Tigers in the national championship game Jan. 6 against No. 1 Florida State, was named the Associated Press national coach of the year on Monday.

Malzahn received 33 votes from AP top-25 college football poll voters to beat out David Cutcliffe, who received 17 votes after leading Duke (10-3) to its first 10-win season. Florida State's Jimbo Fisher and Michigan State's Mark Dantonio each got three votes.

Southern Methodist said coach June Jones has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at SMU through 2017.

East Carolina's Vintavious Cooper rushed for a career-best 198 yards for East Carolina, setting a Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl record in the Pirates' 37-20 win over Ohio in St. Petersburg, Fla. East Carolina (10-3) grabbed the lead for good on the first of Cooper's two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. Tyler Tettleton and Derrius Vick threw scoring passes for Ohio (7-6).

Colorado State defensive line coach Greg Lupfer was suspended without pay for two weeks for using a gay slur when yelling at Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday. Lupfer apologized in a statement.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Arizona is No. 1 in the Associated Press college basketball poll for the third straight week. The Wildcats (12-0) received 63 No. 1 votes from the 65-member national media panel. No. 2 Syracuse drew the other No. 1 votes. Villanova remained at No. 8.

Providence freshmen Brandon Austin and Rodney Bullock were suspended for the rest of the basketball season for violating the college's code of conduct. The two were suspended indefinitely on Nov. 6. They will be able to practice with the team. A former Imhotep Charter star, the 6-foot-6 Austin has the option to transfer to another school and be eligible after the first semester next season or stay at Providence and retain four years of eligibility. Last season, Austin was ranked as the No. 45 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said the loss of leading scorer Jerian Grant to an academic violation might be the biggest he's faced in his 14 seasons at the school. Grant said he is no longer enrolled at Notre Dame because of an academic matter that he didn't handle properly.

SOCCER Union midfielder Michael Farfan will be transferred permanently to Mexico's Cruz Azul of Liga MX once the Mexican side finalizes the deal, the MLS team said Monday. Terms were not disclosed.

"Michael has been an important member for our club both on and off the field over the past three years," team manager John Hackworth said. The Union drafted Farfan with the 23d overall pick in 2011. He made 82 MLS appearances and had four goals and nine assists.

BASEBALL The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed with former all-star closer Chris Perez on a one-year deal, according to reports.

- Staff and wire reports