WEST INDIES SUFFER FRESH BLOW AS DIRECT QUALIFICATION TO ODI WORLD CUP 2027 SLIPS AWAY

• West Indies have missed automatic qualification to ODI World Cup 2027.

• The Caribbean side will now have to battle through the Qualifiers to reach the mega event.

West Indies have been dealt another major setback in their bid to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup, with the two-time champions now certain to enter the qualification tournament rather than secure a direct place through the ICC rankings. Afghanistan’s victory over Ireland in Belfast confirmed their position among the teams set to qualify automatically, leaving the Caribbean side outside the required top-eight bracket.

Under the qualification system, the eight highest-ranked teams in the ICC ODI rankings on September 30, 2026, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, will earn automatic entry into the 14-team World Cup. Afghanistan’s rise into that group has effectively ended West Indies’ hopes of breaking into the direct qualification places.

The West Indies are currently ranked 10th and have two ODIs against India remaining before the cut-off. However, even winning both matches will not be enough to lift them into the automatic qualification positions. That means the Caribbean side will once again have to take the longer route to the World Cup.

A painful reminder of what happened in 2023

For West Indies, another qualification campaign represents an uncomfortable return to a situation they would have desperately wanted to avoid. The Caribbean giants were forced to enter the qualification process for the 2023 ODI World Cup as well. Their campaign in Zimbabwe ended in disappointment after they finished fifth in the Super Six stage and failed to qualify for the tournament.

It was a historic low for one of cricket’s most successful teams. West Indies had appeared at every men’s ODI World Cup from the inaugural edition in 1975 until 2019, but their failure to qualify for the 2023 tournament brought that remarkable streak to an end. The consequences continued beyond the World Cup. Their ranking position also meant they missed the 2025 Champions Trophy, having last featured in the competition in 2013. With another World Cup qualification battle now confirmed, there will inevitably be concern about history repeating itself.

New qualification system offers another route

The 2027 qualification tournament will feature 10 teams and provide West Indies with another opportunity to reach the global showpiece. The field is set to include West Indies and Ireland as the two lowest-ranked non-host Full Members, along with the top four teams from Cricket World Cup League 2 and the four sides emerging from the Qualifier Playoff.

The playoff itself brings together teams from different levels of the qualification pyramid, including the bottom four League 2 sides and four teams from the Challenge League. The revised system also gives teams more than one opportunity to progress. The winner of the 10-team Qualifier will earn a direct place in the second round of the 2027 World Cup. Teams finishing second, third and fourth will enter a three-team Super Series, with the winner also advancing.

The ICC approved the revamped World Cup structure in July, with the 14-team tournament designed to provide more competitive matches while keeping the overall event shorter. While the new pathway keeps West Indies’ World Cup dream alive, it also highlights the seriousness of their current position. A team once synonymous with dominance on the global stage now faces another high-pressure qualification campaign.

For Shai Hope and his teammates, the immediate task is clear: finish the remaining fixtures strongly, regroup and make sure the next qualification journey does not end in another historic disappointment.

- Akshat Gaur

LE MANS SET FOR FORD V FERRARI 2 - ONCE AGAIN IT'S PERSONAL

Two of racing's biggest rivals are on collision course once more, with the Ford v Ferrari battle for overall Le Mans victory due to resume in 2027 after six decades — and Ford is already talking up the fight

 "So, more good news in the world of sports car racing this week. Ford has sprung a happy splurge of fresh headlines in confirming its return to Le Mans in 2027, in an all-out attack for its first overall win since 1969.

Ford v Ferrari battle of the 1960s spawned a Hollywood film. Now comes the second round

That’s 10 manufacturers in the top tier if we still count wound-licking Lamborghini, with possibly McLaren still to come. It really is the golden era that keeps on giving.

It is wonderful news to welcome Ford back to the top level of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in almost 60 years,” gushed ACO president Pierre Fillon. Woah, hold your (prancing) horses! What about the Group C Ford C100 of 1982? Inconvenient history, given how ill-starred that campaign proved. Details, details… Far better to sweep that one away, while also overlooking the Cosworth DFV-powered victories of 1975 (Mirage) and ’80 (Rondeau) too.

- Damien Smith

ARSENE CHARLES ERNEST WENGER | FORMER LEGENDARY ARSENAL COACH

Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger is a French former football manager and player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. He was the manager of Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, where he was the longest-serving and most successful in the club's history. His contribution to English football through changes to scouting, players' training and diet regimens revitalised Arsenal and aided the globalisation of the sport in the 21st century.

In 1969, Wenger was recruited to nearby third division club Mutzig. The club was famed for playing the "best amateur football" in Alsace and managed by Max Hild, who would later go on to become Wenger's mentor. Wenger's emergence at Mutzig aged 20 was considered too late for him to build a reputable playing career. 

Football was not seen as his future; the plan was for him to run the family's spare parts business. He was, however, of the age to start increasing his tactical knowledge of the sport. He frequently read France Football and alongside Hild made trips to Germany to watch Bundesliga matches and observe the different managerial styles. During Wenger's three years at Mutzig, the club beat Strasbourg 3–0 to win the Coupe d'Alsace. He also represented Alsace in a competition held annually between the regional leagues.

Wenger took his studies further, and in 1971 enrolled at the Faculté des sciences économiques et de gestion (Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences) at the University of Strasbourg to read politics and economics after a brief stint in medicine.

In 1973 he joined semi-professional club Mulhouse and balanced his football career with his education.Wenger completed an economics degree a year later. He was selected to represent the national French students squad and visited Nigeria, Lebanon, and Uruguay – where the World Students Championship was held in 1976. 

Wenger did not participate in the event as he was injured; Jean-Luc Arribart, captain of the team recalled: "By the end of that trip, Arsène had almost taken on the role of assistant coach and team joker rolled into one."

At Mulhouse, Wenger was managed by Paul Frantz, who also had a profound impact on his career. It was he who formalised Wenger's beliefs on the importance of nutrition, isometrics and working on a player's strong points.

Wenger played in midfield for Mulhouse, often positioned on the right. In their final game of the 1974–75 season, the club beat Nancy to avoid relegation, but shortly afterwards, Frantz resigned.[32] Wenger also made the decision to leave, as the regular commutes to Mulhouse from Strasbourg overwhelmed him.

In 1975, he rekindled his friendship with Hild and signed for amateur club ASPV Strasbourg (Vauban). Hild needed a midfielder "who could organise play and also have a sort of hold over the team" and decided to recruit Wenger. Vauban was formed in 1971, and made steady progress up the French football league system thereafter; Wenger's three seasons at the club culminated with promotion to the third division.

#declanfosisports #arsenal #arsenewenger 

SIMBA SPORTS CLUB HISTORY | SIMBA SPORTS CLUB LEADERSHIP IN 1975

 

These are the leaders of Simba Sports Club after 1975 elections. 

Seating from right: Alfred Sanga – General Secretary, Shaaban Makayugwa – Chairman, Saad, and Juma Mzee – Deputy Chaiman

Standing from right: Juma Ngondae – Publicity Secret, Noor Mohamed Bachoo – Treasurer, Hilal Ally – Assistant Treasurer and Muslim Hemed – Assistant Secretary General 

#simbasctanzania #ahmedally #makinikiayahabari #simba #simbasc #simbasctanzania

AC MILAN 1-1 FEYENOORD [1-2 ON AGG]: HERNANDÉZ SEES RED AS FEYENOORD PULLS OF UPSET

by Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Feyenoord pulled off a dramatic upset at the San Siro, holding AC Milan to a 1-1 draw and advancing to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Feyenoord entered the second leg with a 1-0 aggregate lead but Milan’s winter signing Santiago Giménez, who joined from Feyenoord for €35 million, levelled the tie within a minute against his former club.

Just a few minutes into the second half, Theo Hernández was sent off after a second yellow for diving. Julián Carranza’s second-half header proved decisive, capitalising on Feyenoord’s numerical advantage. Despite dominating the first half, the Rossoneri were left to rue missed chances as Feyenoord’s makeshift squad, hit by injuries and suspensions, sealed their place in the knockouts.

As it happened

Milan made a dream start, drawing level on aggregate in the 1st minute. A well-worked short corner routine saw Christian Pulisic whip in a cross to the back post, where Malick Thiaw nodded it across goal for former Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez to tap home from close range. The San Siro erupted – though the Mexican striker refrained from celebrating his goal out of respect for his old team. The hosts dominated possession and created a flurry of chances, with Tijjani Reijnders and João Félix both testing Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther. 

However, Milan’s momentum took a dramatic hit in the 51st minute when Hernández received a second yellow card for simulation in the box. Referee Szymon Marciniak wasted no time brandishing the red, reducing Milan to 10 men with almost an entire half remaining. 

Feyenoord grew into the game as Milan sat deeper, and their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute. Hugo Bueno delivered an exquisite cross from the left flank, finding Carranza unmarked inside the six-yard box. The Argentine striker rose high to power a header past Mike Maignan and put the visitors ahead on aggregate.

Milan threw everything forward in the final minutes, but Feyenoord’s defence held firm. Rafael Leão’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time, earning him a yellow card in a post-match fracas that also saw Givairo Read sent off for the visitors. 

Sergio Conceição’s Milan controlled large spells of the game but ultimately paid the price for wasteful finishing and poor discipline. Meanwhile, Feyenoord’s remarkable European journey continues with their first round of 16 appearance since 1974/75. They now await their last-16 tie, which will take place on March 5th and 12th, with either Arsenal or Inter Milan as potential challengers. A daunting challenge lies ahead, but Feyenoord will take confidence from their ability to grind out results under pressure.

The lineups

ACM: Maignan; Walker, Pavlović, Thiaw, Hernández; Musah, Reijnders; Pulisic, Félix, Leão; Giménez.

FEY: Wellenreuther; Read, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Moder, Milambo, Bueno; Paixão, Redmond, Hadj-Moussa.

- Xiao Wei

A. FUNERAL AND A REUNION IN 24 HOURS: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SYRACUSE'S 1975 FINAL FOUR TEAM MEANT A LITTLE MORE RUDY HACKETT

Rudy Hackett waves to the crowd during a ceremony in honor of Syracuse's 1975 Final Four team at halftime of the Orange's game against Boston College on Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com) N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. – You get to a certain age and the occasions are rare when you get to reunite with old classmates or the friends of your youth. Most often those occasions are reunions and funerals.

Rudy Hackett experienced both this past weekend.

Hackett, the former Syracuse basketball star, returned to Syracuse University on Saturday along with several of his teammates off the 1974-75 team. On the 50th anniversary of their Final Four appearance, the first in SU basketball history, the ‘75 team’s coaches and players were recognized at halftime of Syracuse’s game against Boston College at the JMA Wireless Dome.

But before Hackett walked onto the dome’s court to the cheers of Syracuse fans, many of whom weren’t alive when he and his teammates knocked off LaSalle, North Carolina and Kansas State to punch their ticket to the 1975 Final Four, he had another occasion to see old friends.

Syracuse’s most forgotten team celebrates 50th anniversary of 1975 Final Four

A funeral for a former teammate.

On Friday, Hackett traveled back to his childhood home of Mt. Vernon, New York, to pay his respects to Gus Williams, the former NBA player who had teamed up with Hackett at Mt. Vernon High School.

A funeral and a reunion less than 24 hours apart.

“Last night at that funeral, there were so many people there that I grew up with that I would probably never see again in my life,’’ Hackett said Saturday. “They were part of my life. Part of that growing up part of my life and Gus’s life. And you wonder, why does it take death for us to have that opportunity to say ‘Thank you’ to each other?’’

Syracuse's 1974-1975 team was honored on the 50th anniversary of their Final Four appearance at halftime of Saturday's game at the JMA Wireless Dome. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.comN. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

After high school, Hackett went to Syracuse, while Williams went cross-country to the University of Southern California. They were both taken in the NBA’s draft in 1975. Hackett spent two years in the NBA. Williams would be a two-time NBA All-Star and part of Seattle’s 1979 championship team.

“His funeral made me realize that people really do appreciate what you did in your life,’’ Hackett said. “We should thank those people while they’re still alive and we’re still alive.’’

Less than 24 hours later, Hackett had that opportunity.

He got to see his former coach, Roy Danforth, now 89 years old and still wielding a sharp sense of humor. In talking about the 1975 team, Danforth jabbed at then-freshman Marty Byrnes: “Marty always said if I had played him more, we would have won the whole thing.’’

In addition to Danforth, there were eight other players from the 1975 team present at Saturday’s game, along with assistant coach Tom Green.

“We came up here tonight to celebrate our team,’’ Hackett said. “A lot of us are getting up in age. We don’t even know when we’ll all be together again in this large of a group. A lot of us are having those thoughts. Will we be able to ever do this again?’’

In the days leading up to Saturday’s game, Hackett and a few of his teammates wondered how many in the crowd would remember them.

But as they were introduced during the halftime ceremony, the fans responded with a standing ovation that clearly meant a lot to the group.

“I appreciate the love that we’re getting through all this,’’ Hackett said. “But it wasn’t so much them thanking us as it was us thanking them. We appreciate them and the fans that supported back when we were playing at Syracuse.’’

Although it’s been 50 years since Hackett and his teammates pulled off three straight heart-stopping wins on the way to the Final Four in San Diego, only two members of that team, Larry Arrington and Bob Parker, have died.

Some members of the ‘75 team live in the Syracuse area, including Jim Lee, Chris Sease, Steve Shaw and Kevin King. Jim Williams, the little point guard, lives in his hometown of Buffalo.

Byrnes, who nearly died of Covid during the pandemic’s out-break back in 2020, came from Wisconsin. Earnie Seibert, the starting center on the ‘75 team, couldn’t make it due to a medical procedure, but his daughter Erica stepped in for his father.

“I was struck that after 50 years, we still had so many guys here,’’ Hackett said.

Roy Danforth,the head coach of Syracuse's 1975 Final Four team, waves to the crowd during the halftime ceremony in honor of the team. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

So on Saturday, after watching the current Orange down Boston College in a triple-overtime thriller, Hackett and his teammates gathered privately at the Hotel Syracuse’s Eleven Waters restaurant.

They ate a lot. Drank a little. Shared stories. Speeches were made. Some long. Some short. Some, like Bill DeMarle’s, were hilarious.

No one seemed to want to leave even as the snow blanketed the streets of downtown Syracuse.

“Seeing the team and being together,’’ Hackett said. “It reminds me of the love that we had for each other and how we developed as a team. We would like that to be our legacy too; not only is individuals, but as a team.’’

A funeral and a reunion all in 24 hours.

“We celebrated Gus’s life yesterday,’’ Hackett said. “Yeah, it was sad, but it was a celebration, too. We celebrated life again today. You realize how special these times are and you appreciate being able to spend time again with those special people.’’

- Mike Waters

LIONS SECURE 8-0 ROAD RECORD WITH WIN OVER 49ERS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If there was any question on whether Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell would play or rest his starters ahead of the playoffs, he answered that immediately by going full throttle with his top guys on Monday night.

In a rematch of 2023 NFC Championship Game, the Lions got revenge, winning 40-34 after the San Francisco 49ers denied Detroit its first-ever Super Bowl appearance last season.

Detroit hadn't won a road game at San Francisco since 1975, losing 14 straight -- including the postseason -- but overcame a 21-13 first-half deficit to end that road drought against the 49ers.

The Lions also close the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record on the road -- the longest road winning streak in franchise history.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff led the team to their eight road win this season. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Photo

Detroit Lions (14-2)

QB breakdown: Lions quarterback Jared Goff was able to thrive in pressure moments on the prime-time stage. All three of Goff's touchdowns were on either third or fourth down. He now has 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions on third and fourth down this season. He also finished the game with 303 passing yards against the 49ers, while completing 26 of 34 passes.

Promising trend: WR Jameson Williams scored a receiving touchdown for a third straight game. Against the 49ers, he scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown as well as a 41-yard receiving touchdown in the first half. In last season's NFC championship at the 49ers, Williams also had multiple touchdowns. He is now 33 yards shy of the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his career.

Troubling trend: Detroit's defense. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy picked the Lions' defense apart with his accuracy and pinpoint playmaking, notably during the first half. The 49ers scored a touchdown on their first three possessions, with Purdy also completing two 40-yard passes in the game. Against tougher competition, such as the Minnesota Vikings this week, this could be a major issue. -- Eric Woodyard

Next game: vs. Minnesota Vikings (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

George Kittle reached 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career -- tied for second most by a tight end in NFL history. Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo

San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

In an NFC Championship Game rematch that was supposed to be a battle of NFC titans, the 49ers and Lions entered Monday's matchup headed in decidedly different directions.

As 49ers end Nick Bosa succinctly put it on Thursday, "They're doing great, and we had an off year."

By Monday's kickoff, neither the 49ers nor the Lions really had much to play for as San Francisco was eliminated from postseason contention last week and Detroit's season finale against Minnesota is all that matters for the NFC's top seed.

That didn't stop the Niners, who were down to their fourth-string running back and left tackle and were missing key starters all over the roster, from pushing the equally if not more injured Lions to the brink in an entertaining offensive shootout.

There's no such thing as moral victories in the NFL, but Monday's defeat offered plenty of evidence that there is still plenty of fight left in the Niners and that their belief in coach Kyle Shanahan hasn't wavered. Those are things that can be helpful as they head toward an offseason that holds plenty of uncertainty and could bring a lot of change.

In more practical terms, Monday's loss is better for the 6-10 Niners in that it clinched a last-place schedule for them in 2025 and maintains their chances of holding on to the No. 11 pick in the next NFL draft.

Those are small consolations in a lost season that the 49ers didn't see coming, but if nothing else, they can take additional solace in the fact that a nightmare 2024 is almost over.

Describe the game in two words: All offense. It's little surprise that the high-octane Lions moved the ball up and down the field, but the 49ers' offense hasn't done much of that this season. The Niners and Lions scored touchdowns on their first five possessions combined and there wasn't an incomplete pass thrown by either side until 4:59 remained in the second quarter. By night's end, they combined for 74 points and 914 yards.

Most surprising performance: 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall has been mostly quiet since a big Week 10 performance in Tampa Bay, posting six catches for 58 yards in the ensuing six games. But Pearsall was prominently in the mix Monday night, finishing with 8 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. He's the first 49ers rookie since Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2019 to have 100 receiving yards and a score in a game.

QB breakdown: Purdy was, at least statistically, perfect for the better part of the first three quarters Monday night against the Lions. Holding a "perfect" passer rating of 158.3 with 4:19 left in the third quarter, Purdy overthrew Pearsall into the waiting arms of Lions safety Kerby Joseph for the game's first turnover. It put a damper on an otherwise stellar performance from Purdy, who finished 27-of-35 for 377 yards (a career high) with three touchdowns and a rushing score. In the final two minutes of the game, Purdy exited with an apparent elbow injury. He said postgame that he will have an MRI on Tuesday.

Troubling trend: 49ers kicker Jake Moody's struggles -- of which there have been many -- have largely been limited to the road this season. He hadn't missed a field goal or extra point attempt at Levi's Stadium. Until Monday night. He missed two field goals from over 50 yards (51 and 58). Moody was drafted in the third round because he's supposed to be able to convert those kicks. He also missed an extra point at the end of the fourth quarter. Since Week 10, he's 10-of-18 on field goal tries, a 55.6% conversion rate. Add kicker to the list of positions the 49ers will need to take a long look at in the offseason. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

- Eric Woodyard and Nick Wagoner

BILL BELICHICK REACHES 5-YEAR DEAL TO COACH NORTH CAROLINA

In one of the most stunning and compelling moves in college football history, six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick was named the new head coach at North Carolina on Wednesday night.

UNC officials said the sides agreed to a five-year deal pending approval by the board of trustees, which is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting Thursday.

Belichick, 72, worked in the NFL in some capacity from 1975 until his divorce from the New England Patriots after the 2023 season. This will be his first college coaching job.

Belichick's father, Steve, served as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953 to 1955.

"I grew up around college football with my dad and treasured those times," Belichick said as part of a release announcing the move. "I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill."

Belichick's hiring at North Carolina, which hasn't won an ACC football title since 1980, was spearheaded by board chair John P. Preyer, who had homed in on Belichick in recent weeks. Sources told ESPN that the sides met multiple times at length, including for five hours Sunday, and those talks culminated with Belichick finalizing the deal Wednesday.

For a program awash in apathy and mediocrity, this marks a distinct and compelling shift from Mack Brown, as Belichick gives the Tar Heels an unprecedented jolt of star power for 2025 and beyond.

Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham said hiring Belichick positions the program well amid the changing landscape of college sports.

"Bill Belichick is a football legend and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina Football can evolve, compete and win -- today and in the future," Cunningham said in the school's news release. "At Carolina, we believe in providing championship opportunities and the best experience possible for our student-athletes, and Coach Belichick shares that commitment."

Michael Lombardi, a former NFL executive who also was an assistant under Belichick with the Patriots from 2014 to 2016, said Wednesday night he would serve as the general manager of the Tar Heels' program.

The Patriots' six Super Bowls under Belichick are an NFL record. (He won two more as an assistant coach with the New York Giants.) He enters college football with 333 NFL wins, behind only Don Shula's record of 347.

North Carolina fired Brown, 73, on Nov. 26 after a 6-6 season, ending his second stint at the school with a 44-33 record over six years. He coached the Tar Heels' regular-season finale, a 35-30 loss to NC State, then said it was a "great time for me to get out."

The hiring of the famously aloof Belichick, who joked Monday on "The Pat McAfee Show" about his news conference aura, represents a significant shift from Brown's syrupy Southern charm.

Belichick has spent his year away from the sideline doing multiple media jobs while making it clear he wanted to return to coaching. After exploring multiple NFL positions last year following his departure from New England, it was expected Belichick would explore the NFL market again.

But sources told ESPN that a return to coaching in general had been paramount for Belichick. He spent a lot of time around his former assistant, Washington Huskies coach Jedd Fisch, and talking to friends and former assistant coaches around college football. Belichick's son Stephen is the Huskies' defensive coordinator and is expected to be involved with the North Carolina staff in some way.

At 72 years old, Bill Belichick is now the oldest head coach in the FBS. The previous oldest entering this season was Mack Brown (73), whom Belichick is succeeding at North Carolina:

Through the NFL draft every year, Belichick has built up a reserve of college coach confidants, and he has popped up at places such as Washington, Rutgers and LSU this year for college games.

Belichick also spent recent days familiarizing himself with the transfer portal and NIL, and he spent a lot of time on how the organizational chart of a college system would work.

He made it clear in his interview with McAfee on Monday that he would create an incubator for NFL talent if he were a college coach.

"If I was in a college program, the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL," Belichick said. "It would be a professional program: training, nutrition, scheme, coaching and techniques that would transfer to the NFL."

He concluded a lengthy portrait of what the program would look like by saying: "It would be an NFL program, but not at the NFL level."

If talks between Belichick and North Carolina had broken down, Cleveland Browns passing game specialist and tight ends coach Tommy Rees was considered the favorite to land the Tar Heels job, league sources told ESPN. Rees interviewed for the job twice, and he had Nick Saban as an advocate.

Other names that had emerged in the search included veteran NFL coach Steve Wilks, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, Army coach Jeff Monken and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Smith indicated he would stay with the Steelers, and Tulane reached an agreement in principle with Sumrall on a contract extension.

- Pete Thamel, Adam Schefter, Chris Low

GERD MÜLLER VS. FRANZ BECKENBAUER | GERMAN LEGENDS

 🔴 The first on the right is Gerd Müller, the only player to have won all possible individual and team titles. 

He won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Bundesliga, and the German Cup. He was the top scorer in the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, Bundesliga, and German Cup, and scored in the finals of the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, and German Cup. 

He won the Ballon d'Or and was named the best player in the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, and Bundesliga.

⚪️ The second is Franz Beckenbauer, one of the best defenders in history. He won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach with Germany. 

He was named the best player in Germany twice (1974 and 1976). He won the European Cup with Bayern Munich three consecutive times (1974, 1975, 1976), as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. 

He won the Bundesliga four times and the German Cup four times with Bayern Munich, and the American Soccer League three times with Cosmos. He also won the European Championship with Germany in 1972 and earned the Ballon d'Or twice.

At a time when the German national team had the best defender and the best striker in the world. 

LAKERS TO HONOR EX-COACH PAT RILEY WITH STATUE OUTSIDE ARENA

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coach Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena.

The Lakers announced Monday that they have commissioned a statue to stand in Star Plaza immortalizing the coach who won four championships with the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s. Riley also won championship rings with the Lakers as a player and an assistant coach.

Riley, 79, has been part of the Miami Heat as a coach and executive for the past three decades, but his NBA roots are planted firmly with the Lakers. He played for Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975, and he was a team broadcaster before becoming Paul Westhead's assistant in 1979.

He took over as head coach in 1981 and led the Lakers through one of the most dynamic eras for any team in NBA history. With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading an exciting team with a groundbreaking fast-break offense, the Lakers went 533-194 (.733) in Riley's tenure and added 102 playoff victories over nine mostly outstanding seasons.

"Pat is a Lakers icon," Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. "His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat's obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team."

Current Lakers coach JJ Redick, whom some within the organization have likened to Riley for his intensity and sharp presentation, lauded the decision on Monday.

"Deserved," Redick said, adding that he watched the Hulu documentary "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers," which features interviews with Riley, as part of his preparation for the season. "He's a legend in the game of basketball. And obviously did a lot for this franchise. ... So I'm very happy for him. Well deserved."

Riley will become the eighth Lakers luminary to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza, which has become a popular tourist attraction. The others are Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Riley went on to coach the New York Knicks for four seasons before becoming the Heat's team president and coach in 1995. He has remained Miami's president ever since, and he won another NBA title in 2006 during his two stints as the Heat's head coach.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this story.

- ESPN News Services

1975 MIRACLE MILE: FILBERT BAYI RUNS 3:51.0

 

NURBURGRING | 1975 | FORMULA 1