Gaudio succeeds Prosser at Wake Forest
Dino Gaudio has taken over for Skip Prosser before.
More than two decades ago, Gaudio replaced Prosser at a parochial high school in West Virginia and eventually led that team to a state title.
On Wednesday, Wake Forest chose Gaudio to again take Prosser’s place, this time to replace his late mentor in the cutthroat Atlantic Coast Conference.
Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman, who signed Gaudio to a five-year contract, praised the 50-year-old Gaudio for his strength during the grieving that followed Prosser’s July 26 death.
Wellman declined to discuss the value of Gaudio’s deal, as is the practice at the private school in Winston-Salem, N.C.
•Billy Taylor was introduced as Ball State’s head coach in Muncie, Ind., giving him about three months to prepare while the program deals with possible NCAA violations and claims of a “racially hostile work environment” by former coach Ronny Thompson. Taylor was 81-69 in five seasons at Lehigh, including a Patriot League championship in 2004.
•Former Florida A&M coach Willie Booker, who had just started a new job as athletic director at Palm Beach (Fla.) Community College, has died. He was 65. Booker was found dead in his Orlando, Fla., home this week.
•The Boston Celtics have spoken with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, 42, about coming out of retirement.
“I’ve had limited discussions with Celtics management about their roster and a potential role for me. At this time, I’m enjoying my role as an analyst with TNT,” Miller said.
SOCCER
Beckham practices
David Beckham dribbled, juggled and passed the ball during a Los Angeles Galaxy practice on a stiflingly hot afternoon at RFK Stadium in Washington, offering at least some hope that the 45,000 people who have bought tickets for today’s game will actually get to see him play.
“It’s looking up,” Beckham said. “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully I’ll get out there playing soon.”
Today would be a good time to start, given the sellout crowd that has been anticipating the Galaxy’s game against D.C. United, but Beckham’s tender left ankle will have the last word.
•European soccer’s governing body will investigate reports of alleged racist taunting of American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley by fans in Montenegro during a Champions League qualifier.
The taunts occurred during Tuesday night’s game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Texas DT released
Texas freshman defensive tackle Andre Jones has posted bail and been released from jail in Austin after his arrest Aug. 3 on a felony robbery charge.
Jones is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
•Jurors in the trial of a player charged with trying to kill a rival interrupted their deliberations in Greeley, Colo., to ask the judge a question about “intent to cause death.”
Mitch Cozad, a former backup punter at Northern Colorado, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault in a knife attack on the starter, Rafael Mendoza.
MISCELLANY
Portland names coach
National Hockey League veteran Richard Kromm has been named head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winter Hawks.
•Carolina Hurricanes star Eric Staal and his brother Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been offered plea deals stemming from their arrests for complaints of screaming and loud music at Eric Staal’s bachelor party in Minnesota last month.
•Gato Del Sol, the winner of the 1982 Kentucky Derby and the second-oldest living Derby winner, was euthanized at age 28 Tuesday at Paris, Ky., because of age-related infirmities.