Ex-Ohio State coach O'Brien hired by Emerson
Former Boston College and Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien has been named Emerson College basketball coach. O'Brien, who played at Boston College and also coached at St. Bonaventure, was chosen yesterday to take over the Division III program in Boston that does not award athletic scholarships.
Former Boston College and Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien has been named Emerson College basketball coach.
O'Brien, who played at Boston College and also coached at St. Bonaventure, was chosen yesterday to take over the Division III program in Boston that does not award athletic scholarships.
O'Brien was fired by Ohio State in 2004. He started his tenure there in 1997 and led the Buckeyes to four NCAA Tournaments, including the 1999 Final Four. He sued the school over the firing and was awarded $2.74 million when the court ruled in his favor.
During the past 12 seasons, Emerson has won two Great Northeast Athletic Conference titles (1998 and 1999) and competed in the championship game six other times, including 3 of the past 5 years.
In other college news:
* Former cornerback Deion Sanders (Florida State) is among 14 players chosen for induction in the College Football Hall of Fame along with coaches Lloyd Carr (Michigan) and Fisher DeBerry (Air Force). Others to be inducted in December: defensive tackles Marty Lyons (Alabama), Russell Maryland (Miami), Doug English (Texas) and Rob Waldrop (Arizona); receivers Carlos Alvarez (Florida) and Gene Washington (Michigan State); running backs Eddie George (Ohio State) and Clendon Thomas (Oklahoma); fullback Bill Enyart (Oregon State); defensive back Jake Scott (Georgia); guard Will Shields (Nebraska); quarterback Sandy Stephens (Minnesota), and linebacker Darryl Talley (West Virginia).
* The NCAA is letting the Fiesta Bowl keeps its license, though it was placed on 1 year's probation in the wake of a scandal at the Arizona-based bowl that included apparently illegal campaign contributions from staff and lavish spending by the former CEO on parties and a night at a strip club. Last week, the Bowl Championship Series fined the Fiesta Bowl $1 million. In a related development, the bowl is seeking the return of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions made to U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, and other Arizona politicians, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. The contributions were made by bowl employees and their families that the bowl then reimbursed. In all, it wants $48,225.17 returned.
* The family of late Ole Miss football player Bennie Abram has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the university, coach Houston Nutt and the NCAA. Abram was 20 when he collapsed during the first day of offseason workouts on Feb. 19, 2010. An autopsy revealed Abram died from complications associated with sickle-cell trait.
* Wendy Larry is stepping down as women's basketball coach at Old Dominion after 25 seasons and 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.
* The NCAA says attendance at Division I women's college basketball games set a record last season with a total of 8,127,779, breaking the 2007-08 record by nearly 40,000. The average attendance last season was 1,642 per game.
Sport Stops
* Kenyan authorities began an investigation into Samuel Wanjiru's death in a balcony fall in Nairobi, while the Olympic marathon champion's mother accused his wife of killing him to gain control of his property.
* France will host its first Ryder Cup after being awarded the 2018 tournament, beating out sentimental favorite Spain as the popular choice following the death of Seve Ballesteros. The European Ryder Cup committee voted unanimously in favor of the French bid, which centers on the Le Golf National course near Paris.
* Andy Roddick withdrew from the Open de Nice and is in doubt for the French Open because of an injured right shoulder.