Illinois coach takes job at North Carolina
North Carolina coach Larry Fedora hired former Illinois defensive coordinator and interim head coach Vic Koenning as associate head coach for defense. In addition, Southern Mississippi assistants Blake Anderson, Walt Bell, Chris Kapilovic, Deke Adams, Dan Disch and David Duggan will accompany Fedora to the Tar Heels, and former Mississippi assistant Gunter Brewer will be receivers coach. (AP)
Other college football hires • Kansas coach Charlie Weis hired former Akron coach Rob Ianello as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator and retained Buddy Wyatt as defensive line coach. ... Kentucky coach Joker Phillips hired Mike Cassity to coach defensive backs. ... Akron coach Terry Bowden named former North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato, 65, as his new defensive coordinator and associate head coach. ... Montana State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Wright joined new head coach Carl Pelini at Florida Atlantic University in the same capacity. ... Indiana hired former Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Littrell for the same position, and Kevin Johns, last year's co-offensive coordinator, will become assistant offensive coordinator. ... Florida hired Jeff Dillman as director of strength and conditioning. (AP)
College players declare NFL plans • Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu, Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict, Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and former Nevada running back Mike Ball — all juniors — have decided to enter the NFL draft. (AP)
Baseball • Free-agent center fielder Coco Crisp agreed to a two-year contract worth $14 million to return to Oakland. Also, the A's traded outfielder Jai Miller to Baltimore for cash. ... Outfielder Reed Johnson agreed to a $1.15 million, one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. ... Infielder Greg Dobbs agreed to a two-year contract to remain with Miami, pending a physical. ... Yu Darvish is visiting Texas for the first time in a 30-day window the AL champion Rangers have to negotiate a contract with the Japanese righthander, 25. Also, Texas acquired infielder Brandon Snyder, 25, from Baltimore for cash. ... Free-agent reliever Robinson Tejeda agreed to a minor-league contract with Cleveland. (AP)
Tennis • Rafael Nadal struggled past Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3, while defending Qatar Open champion Roger Federer routed Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2 in their season debuts. ... Andy Murray overcame Mikhail Kukushkin for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win at the Brisbane International, while defending Australian Open women's champion Kim Clijsters was down 3-0 in the third set before beating Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.... Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova beat American Alison Riskes 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. (AP)
WXOS shakes up lineup • Chris Duncan is joining Randy Karraker and D'Marco Farr on the WXOS (101.1 FM) afternoon drive-time show, which airs 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Duncan flips positions with Bob Ramsey, who moves to Duncan's old slot, 6-8 p.m. That program eventually might run longer into the evening, WXOS program director Kent Sterling said. Also, WXOS dropped Cliff Saunders, host of its 8-10 p.m. show among other duties. (Dan Caesar)
