Sports in brief: NCAA president dies of cancer

Myles Brand, who fired Bob Knight as Indiana University basketball coach and went on to become NCAA president, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer. He was 67.

The first former university president to run college sports’ largest governing body, Brand worked to change the perception that wins supersede academics.

Brand broke the news that he had cancer in January at the NCAA convention and continued to handle the organization’s day-to-day operations, despite undergoing treatment.

NCAA officials were not ready to say who would replace Brand.

He gained national attention in May 2000 when, as Indiana president, he fired Knight after a player accused Knight of grabbing him.

Before taking over at Indiana, Brand spent five years as president at the University of Oregon.

Associated Press

Ex-big leaguer Frey dies at 99

Baseball: Lonny Frey, who played 14 seasons in the major leagues and made three All-Star games, died Sunday in Coeur d’Alene. Frey, who had been the oldest surviving Pacific Coast League baseball player, was 99.

Frey finished his professional career with the Seattle Rainiers in 1950 and relocated his family to the West Side after that season. When his wife died in 1982, he moved to Coeur d’Alene.

Frey was born on August 23, 1910, and had been the second-oldest living major leaguer.

Frey played for five franchises in the major leagues from 1933 through 1948, missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons while serving in World War II. He was a second baseman and shortstop who played in three World Series.

Frey was a .269 career hitter, with 61 home runs.

A memorial Mass is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue.

Staff and wire reports

Hunting section in today’s paper

Hunting: Our annual special section on hunting is inserted in today’s paper.

It has reports and updates on the region’s fall big-game, waterfowl and upland bird hunting seasons.