College Football Capsules: Leach attorney seeks to withdraw from lawsuit against Texas Tech
LUBBOCK (AP) — A Houston attorney who was leading Mike Leach's lawsuit against Texas Tech over the coach's firing in 2009 has asked to withdraw from the case. Attorney Paul Dobrowski declined to comment on his decision Thursday.
Dobrowski filed the motion Wednesday with the Texas Supreme Court, which is set to rule on whether the university's claim of sovereign immunity will stand.
Leach, now Washington State's coach, sued Texas Tech after he was fired for allegedly mistreating a player with a concussion. Leach has denied he mistreated Adam James, son of U.S. Senate candidate Craig James.
Dicky Grigg, a spokesman for the university, called the motion "unusual." Ted Liggett, another of Leach's attorneys, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Glasgow returns to TCU staff after one year away
FORT WORTH (AP) — Chad Glasgow has returned to TCU as safeties coach after one season as defensive coordinator at Texas Tech.
Glasgow was safeties coach on coach Gary Patterson's staff at TCU for 10 years before going to Texas Tech. But the Red Raiders finished 115th in total defense, and Tech said after the season that a mutual agreement had been reached that Glasgow wouldn't stay.
In announcing Glasgow's return Thursday, TCU said Trey Haverty will move from safeties to receivers coach. Rusty Burns, who had been TCU receivers coach the past three seasons, will share offensive coordinator duties with Jarrett Anderson.
Big 12
Mike Stoops returning to Sooners
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma is bringing brothers Bob and Mike Stoops back together, hoping to rekindle the program's defensive dominance of a decade ago.
Mike Stoops was the co-defensive coordinator for Oklahoma from 1999 to 2004 and helped the Sooners win the 2000 national championship before spending the past seven-plus seasons at Arizona. He was fired at Arizona, and his return to the Sooners throws into question the future of defensive backs coach Willie Martinez and possibly current defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Mike Stoops confirmed in a telephone interview Thursday that he plans to rejoin the Sooners in a to-be-determined role. Before he left Oklahoma, he had been in charge of calling the defensive plays — a role Venables has handled in recent years.
"We haven't talked about that. Me and Brent have always worked well together, and that's the reason I'm going back, to work with him and Bob," he said. "So, that's the least of our concerns at this point."
The university did not confirm Mike Stoops' hiring or any other changes to the football staff. Following Mike's firing in October, head coach Bob Stoops had been reluctant to say much about whether his brother would return to the Sooners and repeatedly said he didn't have an opening on his staff.
But now, one will be made in a bid to shore up a sagging defense.
With both brothers coaching together, Oklahoma finished among the nation's top 10 defenses for four straight years. After a gradual decline, the Sooners weren't even among the top 50 defenses three of the past four seasons — with the exception coming in 2009, when they finished eighth.
Oklahoma still made it to the BCS championship during the 2008 season behind an offense that set an NCAA scoring record.
"I think when you're at Oklahoma you always have the opportunity to win championships. That's what's expected and certainly that's exciting," Mike Stoops said. "That's what's expected there, so I'm excited and looking forward to going back and working with those guys."
Martinez came in two years ago after defensive ends coach Chris Wilson left to become a co-defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. Bobby Jack Wright shifted from the secondary to coaching defensive ends to make room for Martinez, but Oklahoma's pass defense suffered in the wide-open Big 12.
It was the most glaring this season, when the Sooners started the year ranked No. 1 but gave up huge yardage through the air in their first two losses. Texas Tech's Seth Doege threw for 441 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-38 upset in Norman, and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III had 479 yards passing while Baylor amassed 616 yards — the most ever allowed by Oklahoma.
Mike Stoops' defense didn't fare much better at Arizona before he was fired following a 1-5 start. At that time, the Wildcats ranked among the bottom 10 teams in the nation in scoring defense and points allowed, and didn't finish the season much better.
He now returns to a place where he had great success, helping Oklahoma to two Big 12 titles, its only Rose Bowl victory and land two shots at the national championship.
"We've had some fun, we worked well together and we decided to go back. I had a lot of other opportunities but this one I thought was the best for me and my family and all parties involved," said Mike Stoops, who led Arizona into the top 10 midway through last season before losing 10 of his final 11 games.
The Sooners hope the second time around will be just as successful for the Stoops brothers.
"It's always special to do something, if you're able to do something, with your brother like this," Mike Stoops said. "Being involved in something like this, there's a lot of benefits but there's a lot of pressure, too. That's something that we've embraced and have not shied away from it, anyone in my family.
"We want to help each other be successful and I think that gives us great satisfaction."
-- Jeff Latzke
Assault trial reset for convicted ex-Missouri RB
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Former Missouri running back Derrick Washington is scheduled to return to court in February to stand trial on two domestic violence charges involving an ex-girlfriend.
Washington received a five-year sentence in November 2011 after he was convicted of felony sexual assault involving a former tutor. The one-time Missouri captain is eligible for release as soon as March under a 120-day "shock incarceration" for first-time offenders.
He still faces criminal charges in the unrelated misdemeanor domestic assault case. That case is now set for a Feb. 22 trial after an earlier delay.
Washington was the Tigers' leading rusher as a sophomore and junior but was kicked off the team before his senior year in 2010 when the accusations surfaced. He was allowed to keep his scholarship but withdrew from school.
DeForest leaving Oklahoma St, reportedly for WVU
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Longtime assistant coach Joe DeForest is leaving Oklahoma State and reportedly taking a job with former colleague Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia.
An Oklahoma State spokesman confirmed Thursday that DeForest is leaving after 11 years with the Cowboys, serving as an associate head coach, special teams coordinator and defensive assistant.
DeForest told the Tulsa World that he felt he had to leave to advance his career and that he intended to join West Virginia's staff. West Virginia football spokesman Mike Montoro said: "Nobody has been hired at this point."
DeForest was one of Les Miles' assistants for four years and then stayed on the Cowboys' staff under Mike Gundy. He worked alongside then-offensive coordinator Holgorsen, who is now the Mountaineers' head coach.
Ex-Okla. St. football coach Stanley dies at 77
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Former Oklahoma State football coach Jim Stanley has died at age 77. OSU spokesman Kevin Klintworth says Stanley died from cancer Thursday in Arizona.
Stanley was head coach at OSU from 1973-78 and led the Cowboys to a 35-31-2 record and to a share of the Big Eight title and a Tangerine Bowl victory in 1976. He also served as the OSU defensive coordinator from 1963-68 and again in 1972 before being named head coach.
A football autographed by the 2011 Big 12 champion Oklahoma State team was presented to Stanley earlier this month when the team was in Arizona to play in the Fiesta Bowl. OSU said funeral services were pending.
Overall
NCAA president supports four-team football playoff
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert would support a four-team playoff in college football — as long as the field doesn't grow.
After giving his annual state of the association speech Thursday in Indianapolis, Emmert acknowledged he would back a small playoff if that's what Bowl Championship Series officials decide to adopt.
"The notion of having a Final Four approach is probably a sound one," Emmert said when asked what he heard coming out of New Orleans this week. "Moving toward a 16-team playoff is highly problematic because I think that's too much to ask a young man's body to do. It's too many games, it intrudes into the school year and, of course, it would probably necessitate a complete end to the bowl system that so many people like now."
Emmert spoke two days after the 11 Bowl Championship Series conferences met to discuss possible changes to the system starting in 2014, but there is no consensus yet.
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said Tuesday that 50-60 possibilities for various changes were presented during a deliberate meeting in New Orleans, where Alabama beat LSU in the BCS title game Monday night. Hancock anticipates it will take another five to seven meetings to reach a conclusion in July.
One possibility is the four-team playoff, or the so-called plus-one approach, that would create two national semifinals and a championship game played one week later. The original proposal, made in 2008 by the commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference, was emphatically shot down by the leaders of the Big Ten, Pac-10, Big East, Big 12 and Notre Dame.
The BCS title game pits the nation's top two teams based on poll and computer rankings. But momentum is clearly growing for a larger playoff system.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany acknowledged this week that he would now consider the prospect of a four-team field.
"Four years ago, five of us didn't want to have the conversation," Delany told reporters earlier this week. "Now we all want to have the conversation."
Then on Thursday, the BCS picked up another major endorsement for a potential playoff.
Emmert has long said he expected changes to the BCS system and has repeatedly offered to help the BCS debate if they want it. The NCAA licenses bowl games, but does not run them. It also has no direct authority over the BCS system.
But a small, four-team tournament could be the perfect remedy for what many still consider a flawed system.
"I see a lot of ways that a Final Four model could be successful," Emmert said.
-- Ralph D. Russo
Penn State
Paterno's son: JoePa's firing 'not handled well'
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Joe Paterno's son, Scott, said Thursday it's becoming apparent that his father's ouster as Penn State head coach by school trustees "was not handled well."
Scott Paterno's comments Thursday were in response to a trustees' statement that Paterno was immediately removed and not allowed to retire after the season because of "extraordinary circumstances."
The latest words from the trustees come amid escalating criticism on the board and President Rodney Erickson for how the university handled the immediate aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Paterno was fired Nov. 9, four days after Sandusky was charged.
"It is helpful to have on the record the Board's position (about) my father's status with the University," Scott Paterno said in his own statement. "As has become apparent, the termination on November 9, with no notice or hearing, was not handled well.
"Joe Paterno has reiterated from the beginning that the first priority in this crisis is to serve the best interests of the victims," Scott Paterno continued. "He believes strongly that everyone involved is entitled to due process."
Representatives for the Paterno family said they were surprised by the statement from trustees chair Steve Garban and vice chairman John Surma.
Paterno initially announced his retirement at the end of the season on the morning of Nov. 9. The trustees announced his firing about 12 hours later in a hastily called news conference.
Sandusky is awaiting trial after waiving a preliminary hearing last month. He has denied the charges.
Garban and Surma cited the serious allegations and "extraordinary circumstances" in referring to the board's unanimous decision "that Coach Paterno could not be expected to continue to effectively perform his duties and that it was in the best interests of the University to make an immediate change in his status."
Paterno remains employed as a tenured faculty member, and details of his retirement were being worked out and would be made public when finalized.
The university intends to honor Paterno's contract as if he had retired at the end of the 2011 football season, the trustees said.
Paterno, a witness before a grand jury investigating Sandusky, is not a target of the probe. The trustees' decision to oust Paterno came as criticism built that school leaders should have done more to prevent alleged abuse.
According to Scott Paterno, his father sees a "wholesale attack on the football program and Penn State's academic record, as has happened in some quarters," as unjustified.
"This is a crisis that deserves thoughtful and thorough review. In the course of that review and analysis, however, the legitimate achievements of this University and the many good people who worked so hard to build it into a world-class institution should not be disrespected," Scott Paterno said before concluding, "My parents are unwavering in their loyalty and dedication to Penn State."
Harris urges PSU alumni to be 'relentless'
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State running back Franco Harris doesn't believe Joe Paterno's firing was in the school's best interest and urged alumni to be relentless.
Speaking to a gathering of about 300 on Thursday, Harris received a standing ovation as he delivered his message. Paterno's dismissal, and the school's handling of it, has been a hot-button issue for the former Pittsburgh Steelers player.
"I can't understand why it happened. Us, as an alumni, we have to be relentless. We have to keep fighting for Penn State," he said. "We can't let the board of trustees or the media write the final chapter."
In the same hotel in suburban Philadelphia, school President Rodney Erickson held the second of three town hall events aimed at repairing the school's image in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The 650 alumni in attendance for the sometimes heated 90-minute session didn't receive him well, and most of their questions involved concerns over Paterno's firing.
Harris, too, questions Erickson's leadership.
"A lot of the answers that we want from the university aren't coming forward. When they do say something, even today, what I most recently heard, they think we're dumb," Harris said. "They want us to believe it was in the best interest of the school to fire Joe Paterno. No way was that in the best interest of the school."
At his forum, Harris asked for "real talk." The session began after 8 p.m., and as people began to filter out 2½ hours later, Harris played a Penn State football commemorative DVD.
"I find it hard to believe that on Nov. 9th, that all 32 board members wanted Joe Paterno fired," Harris said. "Hopefully, someone will come forward and admit they didn't want Joe Paterno fired. This wasn't a football problem. If had been a football issue, believe me, Joe Paterno would have handled this.
"The present leadership thinks it's right what happened and how this was handled. And we all know it was wrong. And this comes from our current leadership. They're hoping everything goes on as normal. All I want is the truth.
"I think we deserve it."
Harris said he called Erickson to ask him to consider rehiring Paterno but Erickson told him no. Harris did throw tepid support behind new Penn State coach Bill O'Brien and said he did not believe the next coach had to be from Penn State.
"But I do find it disturbing that not one of our people had any input at all in the decision," Harris said.
"But the thing that's upsetting to me is that this is labeled a football sex scandal and that our assistant coaches won't be able to get a job anywhere in the country. They should honor Joe. With their inaction, once again, they show Joe Paterno, all the good things he's done, and everything he's built, is not important."
Penn State's tumultuous year ended with a 30-14 loss to Houston in the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 2. O'Brien was hired four days later.
"We can't let them get away with what they've done and what they're doing. They should rehire Joe Paterno for the first four games of next season and begin the transition right there," Harris said. "Otherwise, there is no closure. If Joe Paterno isn't hired back, I'm not going to the first four games."
Harris had the attention of the room the whole session. One supporter even blurted out that he should run for a board position at Penn State. Harris could only laugh before answering.
"You know, my running days are over."
Bills WR coach Hixon to be lead assistant at PSU
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Buffalo Bills receivers coach Stan Hixon is returning to college to become the lead assistant under new Penn State coach Bill O'Brien.
Hixon is among six assistants formally announced Thursday to O'Brien's coaching staff. Besides being Penn State's assistant head coach, Hixon will also mentor the wide receivers.
A 32-year coaching veteran, Hixon tutored the wideouts for the Bills. He's had stops with the Washington Redskins and LSU, and he was on the same staff at Georgia Tech with O'Brien from 1995-99.
O'Brien also confirmed he's retaining Ron Vanderlinden as linebackers coach. He and defensive line coach Larry Johnson are veteran holdovers and two of the top recruiters from former coach Joe Paterno's staff.
"It was crucial to get an experienced, passionate and enthusiastic staff together quickly so they can hit the ground running," O'Brien said in the team statement announcing the hirings.
The rookie head coach is back in New England this week as he finishes his duties as the Patriots offensive coordinator through the end of the NFL playoffs. Denver visits New England this weekend in an AFC divisional round game.
Also formally hired at Penn State were: ex-Texas associate head coach and offensive line coach Mac McWorther (offensive line); Tennessee Titans offensive assistant Charles London (running backs); and Ball State offensive line coach John Strollo (tight ends).
O'Brien has said he does not plan to hire an offensive coordinator, and will call the plays.
Still to be finalized are the hirings of assistants to oversee quarterbacks and the secondary; as well as a defensive coordinator.
Persons familiar with the new staff have told The Associated Press that O'Brien also plans to hire South Carolina special teams coach John Butler, who is from Philadelphia; and Central Florida defensive coordinator Ted Roof, barely a month after he had been hired by the Knights.
Roof had been named Central Florida's defensive coordinator Dec. 8 after leaving Auburn following the regular season. He previously spent three seasons as the Tigers' defensive coordinator, including the 2010 national championship season.
From Paterno's staff, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, offensive coordinator Galen Hall and several other assistants from Paterno's staff are not expected to be retained. Paterno's son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, and secondary coach Kermit Buggs have already said they will not return.
Paterno was fired Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Bradley, who served as the interim coach the final four games, had applied for the head-coaching job.
-- Genaro C. Armas
Major College News & Notes
Meyer healthy, ready to start coaching Buckeyes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The newest member of Ohio State's alumni association shouldn't have any problem paying the annual dues.
Urban Meyer, who picked up his master's degree in 1988 from Ohio State, has coached all over the country — as a head coach at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, and also at Illinois State, Colorado State and Notre Dame. But he's finally working where he picked up a diploma — and where he gets $4 million a year to coach football.
"I joined the alumni association," he said Thursday. "As we were going through the paperwork and everything, (I realized) that's the first time in 20-some years, other than when I was a graduate assistant, that I've coached where I'm a graduate.
"Oh, it feels great. I can't wait to put the sticker on my car. It's kind of cool to be able to say that."
The Buckeyes, coming off a dreadful 6-7 season, began conditioning workouts on Monday. The new coaching staff is still getting adjusted to the players, and the players are adapting to the new coaches.
Meyer, who received his bachelor's degree from Cincinnati, was asked what he thought of the team's work ethic so far.
"It's average right now. We'll see," he said of the players' commitment to conditioning. "I don't want to jump over the top but three days into it, this third day, you walk around saying, 'That was decent.' The first day, you kind of had a sick feeling to your stomach, like, 'What was that I just watched?' So it's getting better."
Meyer was hired in late November to take over the NCAA-sanctioned Buckeyes. He had stepped down briefly as head coach at Florida in 2009 and then for a year after the 2010 season. He has been out of coaching for a year, serving as a TV analyst.
Those who know him say he's taking better care of himself than he did at Florida.
"He is 100 percent juiced and revitalized. It's great to see," said Mickey Marotti, Meyer's strength and conditioning coach at Florida who now has the title at Ohio State of Assistant AD for Football Sports Performance and will have four full-time staffers working beneath him — just for football. "You just could see over time. He's told you his story. He looks great. The year being out of football or being away from coaching, it kind of re-energizes you."
Meyer said his health couldn't be better.
"I feel as good as I've felt in many, many years," he said. "Revitalized is a strong word and it's an appropriate word for where I am right now."
His offensive staff includes offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman, who was at Iowa State last year; co-offensive coordinator and line coach Ed Warinner, who came from Notre Dame along with tight ends and fullbacks coach Tim Hinton; wide receivers coach Zach Smith, the grandson of former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce and a coach at Temple last year; and a holdover from interim coach Luke Fickell's Buckeyes staff, Stan Drayton, in charge of running backs.
"It's hard to really verbalize how awesome this really is," Smith said. "To actually (come in as an assistant) is indescribable."
Herman will call the plays, with Meyer holding veto power.
"It's an offense based on matchups," he said of the spread that the Buckeyes will run. "It's an offense based on using the entire width and length of the football field. The field is 120 yards long and 54 yards wide and in our opinion the defense only has 11 human beings to cover that much grass. We're going to use space and numbers to our advantage."
The new faces coaching defense include co-coordinator, assistant head coach and safeties coach Everett Withers, the interim head coach and coordinator at North Carolina in 2012; along with three others coming back from Ohio State's staff last year: Fickell (defensive coordinator, linebackers), Taver Johnson (cornerbacks) and Mike Vrabel (defensive line).
Because of violations committed by former coach Jim Tressel, and by players he brought in, Ohio State vacated its 2010 season, repaid bowl money from that year, suffered some recruiting limitations, was forced to go on three years of NCAA probation and, most importantly, will not be permitted to play in a bowl game after the 2012 season.
"Obviously, you would like to be playing in bowl games," Withers said. "This thing is a journey. We hope to be good this year and continue to be better in years to come. Hopefully we'll have that opportunity to play in a lot more bowl games down the road."
Meyer said he was just OK with his current recruiting class, saying he hoped to add four or five more to the 19 commitments so far.
He has enjoyed his return to coaching — particularly getting to know the players.
"I missed the players," he said. "I missed guys who really want to go shoot for the stars and kind of put a plan together and say, 'Follow this plan.' You never know when you might hit the star. I love that."
-- Rusty Miller
UA's Richardson, Hightower, Kirkpatrick NFL-bound
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — National champion Alabama will once again try to keep rolling after losing three underclassmen to the NFL draft.
All-Americans Trent Richardson, Dont'a Hightower and Dre Kirkpatrick said Thursday they're leaving school to start pro careers, three days after helping the Crimson Tide to its second national title of their careers.
"To leave a legacy like me and Dre have left here, to have two national championships in three years, I think that's pretty big for us and our family and for the University of Alabama," said Richardson, a Heisman Trophy finalist and Doak Walker Award winner as the nation's top running back.
Richardson and Kirkpatrick, a cornerback, attended a news conference announcing their decisions, while middle linebacker Hightower issued a statement afterward.
Richardson and Kirkpatrick are both projected as potential top 10 picks and Hightower is also regarded as a potential first-rounder.
Alabama had a school-record four first-round selections last year, including underclassmen Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones and Mark Ingram. The Tide came back and went 12-1, moving to 36-4 over the past three years.
Richardson set school single-season rushing records with 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns in his lone season as a fulltime starter after running behind the 2009 Heisman winner Ingram.
He and Hightower were first-team AP All-America selections while Kirkpatrick was a second-teamer.
The Tide beat LSU 21-0 in Monday night's national title game when the nation's top defense yielded only 92 total yards.
Richardson ran for 96 yards and scored the game's only touchdown in the fourth quarter after topping 100 as a freshman in the first title game against Texas.
Richardson said he wanted to be able to take care of his mother — who he says has Lupus and still works at a seafood restaurant — and two young daughters.
"It really took a toll on me to make sure my momma doesn't have to work anymore or my grandma," said Richardson, who lost two aunts to cancer in the last year. His grandmother had retired, but returned to driving a school bus.
Richardson said he made the decision Wednesday night after sitting down with his uncle and brothers. He went home to Pensacola, Fla., from the national championship game in New Orleans to discuss his future with family.
Richardson said he received motivation from a childhood in a tough neighborhood where he lost "quite a few friends" to early deaths, drugs or prison.
"This place has changed my life," Richardson said. "It really turned me from a teenager to a man, and a grown man at that.
"I never thought I'd be in college playing football, or I never thought I'd be almost done with my degree. In 2½ years, I'm almost done with my college degree. That's big for me."
Hightower, the team leader with 85 tackles, was eligible for a fifth year of eligibility after missing most of the 2009 national championship season with a knee injury. He wasn't present at the news conference, and Saban only talked about Richardson and Kirkpatrick.
"These two young men have done a fabulous job of representing the University of Alabama, their family, themselves," Saban said. He praised "their commitment to excellence, not only on the field but the kind of people they've been, the kind of leadership they've provided.
"Both guys have done a really good job academically."
He said both players pledged to complete their degrees and are about 20 credit hours shy. Hightower, a team captain, graduated in December.
Kirkpatrick has gotten plenty of personal tutelage from Saban, who works with the defensive backs.
"These are the things that we always dreamed of," he said. "Playing for two national champions is something that's unheard of. Some of the great teams have managed to do that, and fortunately I was on one of them.
"Coach Saban has taught me pretty much everything. I call him my father."
Saban was late to the announcement but with a good excuse — a congratulatory phone call from President Obama.
"He wanted everybody to know and all of our players to know that he saw the whole game and was very impressed and congratulated us," he said. "He's looking forward to us coming to the White House and we're looking forward to going and having that experience again."
Getting back to the title game next season and getting another White House invite will take more reloading, though Saban is expected to add to his string of highly rated recruiting classes.
Outland Trophy Award-winning left tackle Barrett Jones, right tackle D.J. Fluker and safety Robert Lester are returning for their senior seasons.
Still, the defections mean Alabama will lose six starters on offense and seven on defense.
Two seniors, safety Mark Barron and linebacker Courtney Upshaw, are also considered likely first-round picks from the nation's top defense.
''They've got a great group of young guys coming up," Kirkpatrick said. "They look like they're ready to be leaders."
-- John Zenor
LSU CB Claiborne, DT Brockers turning pro
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU All-American cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Michael Brockers have decided to leave school early to enter the NFL draft.
"My decision had nothing to do with the game on Monday and how the season ended," Claiborne, a junior, said Thursday afternoon in a joint announcement with Brockers and coach Les Miles. "I knew this day was going to come."
Claiborne, who led LSU with six interceptions this season and returned one for a touchdown, also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. In addition, Claiborne was LSU's top kickoff returner, averaging 25 yards per return with one touchdown that went 99 yards at West Virginia.
Brockers' 54 tackles were seventh on LSU's defense. The redshirt sophomore was credited with 10 tackles for losses, including two sacks. He also had a forced fumble and intercepted a screen pass.
Their departures means the Tigers will have to replace two of their top defenders as they work to bounce back from Monday night's loss to Alabama in the BCS title game.
"After the game Monday, I thought about how it ended. I talked to my mom, my grandmother and people close to me," Brockers said. "I made a decision. I think it was a good decision."
The 6-foot, 185-pound Claiborne is projected to be a potential top 10 pick in next April's NFL draft. Brockers said he had been advised he could be selected as high as the first round but also in later rounds.
Miles said he felt differently about the decisions of each player to turn pro, "but supported both."
"Mo is a top ten player, maybe a top five player. There was no way for him to improve his draft status," Miles explained. "Michael could have improved his draft position (by staying at LSU). He made a family decision to fulfill an obligation to his family. They both did what they were asked to do for the program. What they leave is a legacy on how to do it."
Claiborne, who is from Shreveport, initially came to LSU expecting to play wide receiver but was quickly converted to defensive back and played in seven games in a reserve role as a true freshman.
"This program is great. The coaches know what's best for you," Claiborne said. "This was an only one in a lifetime opportunity. I'm sad about leaving."
Claiborne started 12 games as a sophomore opposite 2010 Thorpe Award winner and current Arizona Cardinal Patrick Peterson. With teams often avoiding throwing to Peterson's side of the field, Claiborne saw a lot of balls come his way and responded with a team-leading five interceptions and also recovered a fumble.
This season, he was part of a defensive backfield that included fellow All-American Tyrann Mathieu. Claiborne's 11 career interceptions places him in a tie with several other players for sixth all-time at LSU.
Brockers, a Houston native, came to LSU expecting to play defensive end before moving to the interior of the line.
"You have to do what's best for the team. You have to trust the coaches," Brockers said. "If I didn't move from defensive end to defensive tackle, where would I be? I bought into the program and to what the coaches told me."
Wisconsin QB tells Rockies he'll go with football
DENVER (AP) — Russell Wilson is putting away his glove to stay on the gridiron, where he'll try to avoid hits rather than collect them. The Wisconsin quarterback has told the Colorado Rockies he will play in the NFL rather than stay in the baseball team's minor league system.
Wilson made up his mind after a sensational season in which he helped Wisconsin reach the Rose Bowl. A transfer from North Carolina State, Wilson became the first Badgers quarterback to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season.
Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said Thursday the team was informed Wilson won't be coming to camp next month in Scottsdale, Ariz. He said the Rockies had "no say in his personal choice," but the club wishes him the best as he pursues pro football.
Wilson was drafted by the Rockies in the fourth round with the 140th pick two years ago. He received a $200,000 signing bonus and will have to give a portion of that back to the team.
His decision to put his baseball career on hold was first reported by The New York Times.
A second baseman, he hit .229 over two seasons with five homers and 26 RBIs in the Northwest and South Atlantic leagues. Given more time and even more at bats, Rockies executive Bill Schmidt believed Wilson could have had a solid career on the diamond.
"We thought his future would be better in baseball, if he chose to pursue it," said Schmidt, who serves as the team's vice president of scouting. "But we always knew that football was there. We would've liked to have seen him stick with it a little longer and seen where it would've taken him. But I fully understand where he's coming from with football."
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Wilson went 19-17 in three seasons at North Carolina State, earning the ACC's rookie of the year honor in 2008. Later, there was discord over his decision to skip spring practice in favor of baseball — at first for the Wolfpack, then for the Rockies' farm team.
Using an NCAA rule, Russell was able to transfer to Wisconsin from N.C. State after graduating and became instantly eligible instead of waiting a year.
Wilson rewrote the Wisconsin record book in his only season in Madison, setting single-season school marks in yards passing (3,175), TD passes (33), completions (225), pass efficiency rating (191.8) and total offense (3,513).
The 23-year-old Wilson enters an NFL draft loaded with high-caliber quarterbacks. Andrew Luck of Stanford and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor are likely to be the first two QBs off the board in April.
The Rockies retain the rights to Wilson for five more years. And Schmidt said the door remains open.
"If football doesn't work out and he calls us, he can come back and play baseball," Schmidt said. "He was a long ways away in baseball to really know what kind of player he had a chance to be. He had the tools. He had the athleticism. He had the tremendous work ethic. We thought that with time and effort, he had a chance.
"It was worth the gamble."
-- Pat Graham
Clemson coordinator Steele leaving Tigers
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele won't return to the Atlantic Coast Conference champions next season.
Steele said Thursday that he had left the Tigers after three seasons for other coaching opportunities. He and his defense had come under heavy criticism after allowing a bowl-record 70 points in the Tigers' embarrassing loss to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl last week.
Clemson's defense allowed 28 or more points in seven of its final eight games and fell from 24th last year to 81st in the country in points given up.
"I have had a great experience at Clemson and feel good about what we have accomplished the last year three years," Steele said in a statement. "But there are some other coaching opportunities I wish to pursue at this time."
Steele was one of coach Dabo Swinney's first hires after he got the fulltime job at Clemson after the 2008 season. And it looked like a strong move as the Tigers defense finished in the top 25 nationally in yards allowed and points scored.
That changed dramatically this season as Clemson gave up more than 29 points a game and surrendered 28 points or more in seven of its final eight games. The bottom fell out at the Orange Bowl where the ACC champs hoped to cap off a bounce back season. Instead, the Tigers appeared lost in stopping the Mountaineers' attack.
Clemson's offense chipped in to the blowout with several turnovers that gave West Virginia short fields to play with. Still, the showing was the last straw for many Tiger fans already angered by the team's third straight loss to rival South Carolina.
Swinney thanked Steele for his efforts and wished him well.
"Although we were inconsistent at times with a young defense this year, overall we have been one of the best defenses in the country the last three years" under Steele, Swinney said in the statement.
Clemson's best showing all year came in two winis over Virginia Tech. The Tigers held the Hokies to a field goal in a 23-3 victory in Blacksburg, Va., the first time Virginia Tech went without a touchdown in a home game in 16 years.
Then the Tigers shut down ACC player of the year David Wilson in a 38-10 rematch with the Hokies in the ACC championship last month.
Swinney vowed after the Orange Bowl debacle that he'd fix the defense the way he upgraded the offense from a year earlier. Swinney released offensive coordinator Billy Napier and replaced him with Chad Morris, whose high-flying system helped the Tigers win their first league crown in 20 years this past fall.
Steele had several promising young players in last year's recruiting class, highlighted by linebackers Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward.
While Anthony showed flashes of solid play, Steward was injured earlier in the year and was lost for the season.
Clemson's defense this fall featured defensive end Andre Branch, who led the ACC in sacks. Still, Steele struggled to replace the production of 2010 star Da'Quan Bowers, who led the country with 15 1-2 sacks and won the Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks awards.
Steele just finished his 26th season at the college level, which has included stops at Nebraska and Florida State. He also coached four seasons in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
-- Pete Iacobelli
Yale goes to Harvard for new football coach
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Yale University went to Harvard to find its new football coach.
Tony Reno, who served as an assistant for the Crimson for the past three seasons, was introduced Thursday as the Bulldogs new coach, ending a turbulent process that began with the resignation of Tom Williams over embellishments to his resume.
"I am the right person for this job," Reno said during an afternoon news conference. "There is not another person that understands this place. There is not another person that can recruit this place, and can produce the football program we're going to produce here."
Reno, 37, was the third coach reported to be in line for the job. UConn defensive coordinator Don Brown took himself out of consideration on Monday, after several media outlets reported he would be offered the position.
On Wednesday night, Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly did the same thing.
The New Haven Register, citing Yale sources, reported Wednesday night that Lehigh offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini would be hired, but later retracted that story.
"There were many incredible coaches that we discusses, visited with, went to see, brought to campus, vetted," athletic director Tom Beckett said. "And at the end of the day, we are absolutely thrilled with the choice of Tony."
Reno coached at Yale for six seasons, five as defensive backs coach, before taking on similar duties at Harvard, where he coached the corners and safeties and also served as special teams coordinator.
"He is a man of integrity, a family man and he will earn the respect of his players through his everyday attention to detail and disciplined style," said Jack Siedlecki, who coached Yale from 1997 to 2008 and hired Reno onto his staff.
Reno replaces replace Williams, who resigned after acknowledging that he was never, as he had previously claimed, been a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship.
The university began an investigation in November after The New York Times reported officials of the Rhodes Trust said they had no records of Williams applying for the fellowship when he graduated from Stanford in 1992.
Williams said in a statement announcing his resignation that he was encouraged to apply for the scholarship by Stanford's fellowship office but acknowledged he never did. Williams' biography on the Yale football website also mentioned that he played for the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in 1993. In his statement, Williams also said he never signed a contract with that team.
Beckett said the university hired an outside firm to make sure all the candidates were thoroughly vetted this time.
"We were very vigilant," he said, adding that if there were anything hidden, it would have to be something Reno did as a child.
"And I ask him, and I talked to his dad, 'Is there anything Mr. Reno, that we need to know," he quipped.
Williams was 16-14 at Yale and 5-5 in 2011. But he also was 0-3 against archrival Harvard.
Reno was asked how he could go from Yale to rival Harvard and back again, and quipped that it was a short ride. But he also said he would use what he learned in Cambridge to help Yale beat its archrival.
''What coach (Tim) Murphy does with his program is he prepares them to be great players on and off the field," he said. "He prepares them in the classroom. He does a great job on the recruiting trail. All those things that are pieces of the puzzle at Harvard ... those are pieces that I'm going to bring here to help make Yale successful."
-- Pat Eaton-Robb
Florida's Demps picks track career over football
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida running back Jeff Demps is giving up his football career to focus on track and the 2012 Olympics.
Demps wants to vie for a spot on the U.S. track and field team. So he won't attend any college football all-star games or take part in any NFL draft workouts.
"I can have the mindset of a full-time track guy now," Demps said.
The senior started training with Florida's track team this week and hopes to return to competition at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet next month. He plans to lose about 15 pounds off his 190-pound playing weight.
Demps finished his career with 2,470 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns. He had 569 yards rushing and six touchdowns this past season. He also was a dangerous kickoff returner, averaging 28.8 yards a return in his four-year career.
On the track, Demps is a four-time national champion. Demps is the two-time defending NCAA Indoor 60-meter champion. He showed Olympic potential when he set a 100-meter junior world record (10.01 seconds) at the 2008 Olympic Trials, challenging Olympian Tyson Gay stride for stride in the heat.
Training with Florida this season should help Demps' Olympic chances, especially working with head coach Mike Holloway. Holloway is an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team and mainly works with sprinters and hurdlers.
''What has made Jeff unique is that Jeff has always done very, very good things in track and field while doing lifting and other things that football players do," Holloway said. "What that tells me is that Jeff is a very special guy. If you can run 9.9 (in the 100 meters) and run 6.5 (in the 60 meters) and do the things he has done, training as a football-slash-track guy, what happens when he is just a track guy?"
Toledo wide receiver Page entering NFL draft
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Toledo wide receiver Eric Page announced Thursday he's leaving school a year early to go into the NFL draft, passing up a chance to break the NCAA's record for receptions in a career.
Page is believed to be the first Toledo player to forego his senior season to enter the draft, school officials said. Nine former Rockets were on NFL rosters this season, including receivers Lance Moore in New Orleans and Arizona's Stephen Williams.
Page, who caught 306 passes during his career, would have needed just 44 catches next year to pass the NCAA mark set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles this year. His decision is a bit of surprise. He had said he planned to return next season after catching 13 passes against Air Force in Toledo's 42-21 victory in the Military Bowl.
Page said he has been told that he likely won't be selected until the third round at the earliest. He does hold several records at Toledo, including most catches in a season this year with 125.
Page also was a dangerous kick returner. He ran three kickoffs back for touchdowns in his sophomore year. He was a finalist this season for the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the nation's most versatile player.
-- John Seewer
Not guilty drunken driving plea for Buckeyes player
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State cornerback Dominic Clarke has been charged with drunken driving, less than three months after he was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct.
Court records show Clarke pleaded not guilty Thursday in Franklin County court. He was charged Saturday with running a stop sign, speeding and operating a vehicle while impaired.
In October, Clarke was charged with disorderly conduct and fined after police said he discharged a BB gun on campus. No one was hurt. His lawyer, Christopher Cooper, calls Clarke an excellent student and says "he's no different than any 20-year-old and shouldn't be treated any different than any 20 year old."
The redshirt sophomore from Frederick, Md., played in 11 games this season. New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was asked Thursday how he will handle Clarke and other disciplinary issues.
"What we'll never do is say we're going to make an example out of a kid. That's not going to happen," Meyer said in a news conference. "However, (Clarke) broke a team rule. I'm still getting the information. I'm very, very disappointed because some things were covered in the team meeting. They'll be dealt with very swiftly and sternly at the appropriate time."
Washington hires Keith Heyward as DBs coach
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington has hired Keith Heyward away from Pac-12 foe Oregon State to be the Huskies' defensive backs coach to round out Washington's coaching staff.
Heyward's hiring was announced on Thursday. He replaces Jeff Mills and Demetrice Martin, who previously split duties coaching the Huskies defensive backs. Martin left to join Jim Mora's new staff at UCLA, while Mills was fired along with defensive coordinator Nick Holt and linebackers coach Mike Cox following the Alamo Bowl.
Washington previously hired Justin Wilcox as its new defensive coordinator and Peter Sirmon to coach linebackers.
Heyward was at Oregon State for four seasons coaching the secondary for his alma mater. Heyward played for the Beavers from 1997-2000 and started his coaching career as an assistant at Cal Poly in 2007.
Tennessee hires UNC OL coach Pittman
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has hired Sam Pittman to coach the Volunteers' offensive line. The Vols announced Thursday night Pittman would replace Harry Hiestand, who is expected to join coach Brian Kelly's staff at Notre Dame.
Pittman, who was named one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation by ESPN.com, has spent the past five seasons as the offensive line coach at North Carolina and was named the Tar Heels associate head coach in 2011.
Behind the Tar Heels' offensive line, North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard averaged 101.8 yards per game in 2011 and quarterback Bryn Renner led the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing efficiency.
Pittman played defensive end at Pittsburg State in Kansas and has also coached at Northern Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Western Michigan, Oklahoma and Cincinnati.
Illinois trustees to consider Beckman contract
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — When they meet Jan. 19, University of Illinois trustees are expected to approve a contract to pay new head football coach Tim Beckman $9 million over five years, plus incentives.
Beckman will be paid $1.6 million his first year. That figure will grow by $100,000 each year through the end of the contract. Beckman will be paid another $150,000 if he stays through 2015 and $350,000 if he stays through the contract. Illinois also will pay him $130,000 to buy out his contract at the University of Toledo.
Performance-based bonuses of up to 13 percent of his annual salary are also possible, and Beckman will be provided two vehicles. The new coach will have $2.8 million to pay assistants. Beckman was hired last year after Ron Zook was fired.
UAB's McGee announces coaching hires
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — New UAB coach Garrick McGee has assembled most of his staff.
McGee says Joe Gilbert will serve as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, while coaching the offensive line. He also said Thursday that Reggie Johnson will be defensive coordinator and coach linebackers. A 25-year coaching veteran, Gilbert has spent the past three seasons as offensive line coach at Illinois.
Johnson worked as linebackers coach at Arkansas the past four seasons, while McGee was also a Razorbacks assietant. The other coaches include Jeff Brohm (quarterbacks), Anthony Blevins (cornerbacks), Tyson Helton (running backs/recruiting coordinator), Richard Owens (tight ends), Brandon Sharp (safeties) and Jimmy Williams (defensive line). McGee says he hopes to have a wide receivers coach soon.
Petrino: Arkansas assistant Johnson headed to UAB
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas linebackers coach Reggie Johnson is leaving for Alabama-Birmingham.
Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino congratulated Johnson and Arkansas graduate assistants Richard Owens and Brandon Sharpe on Thursday. All three are taking positions with the Blazers, where Garrick McGee was hired as coach last month after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks.
Johnson is the fourth member of the Razorbacks' staff to leave after the season. Besides McGee, special teams coach John L. Smith left to become the head coach at Weber State and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson resigned.
Boston College DE Holloway to enter NFL draft
BOSTON (AP) — Boston College defensive end Max Holloway says he will forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
Holloway would have been a fifth-year senior next season. He has earned his degree. The native of Lutz, Fla., finished fourth on the team with 47 tackles last season.
Elsewhere
Wyoming gives coach Christensen a pay raise
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming football coach Dave Christensen is getting a pay raise after the Cowboys finished last season with an 8-5 record and a bowl appearance.
Athletic director Tom Burman announced on Thursday the details of a new five-year contract for Christensen that will run through 2016. The contract will include total compensation of $1.2 million per year, with a base salary of $190,000 per year. Christensen was earning $180,000.
Christensen was chosen the Mountain West Conference coach of the year in 2011. In his three years at Wyoming, he has guided two of his three teams to the New Mexico Bowl. He came to Wyoming in 2008 after serving as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Missouri.
