Some Bonds charges dropped

Baseball: Federal prosecutors have cut the number of felony charges Barry Bonds faces from 11 to five.

In a court filing Thursday in San Francisco, prosecutors filed their third revised indictment against Bonds, who is scheduled to stand trial March 21.

In the new indictment, they reduced from nine to three the number of charges alleging Bonds lied under oath when he testified that he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs.

He is still charged with perjury for telling the grand jury that no one other than his doctor ever stuck a needle in his body and a catch-all charge that he obstructed the grand jury’s investigation into sports doping with his allegedly misleading testimony.

Associated Press

Cougs hire Howard for defensive line

Washington State football coach Paul Wulff made another change to his coaching staff Thursday, hiring former UCLA associate head coach Todd Howard to coach the Cougars’ defensive line.

Howard replaces Malik Roberson, who came with Wulff from Eastern Washington. Roberson’s contract, which expires March 31, will not be renewed.

“Todd brings a great deal of experience to our program,” Wulff said via a press release. “He has coached at the highest levels of collegiate football while also serving on two different coaching staffs in the NFL.

“He has a lot of experience recruiting the Los Angeles area which was a priority for us and he has also coached All-Americans and numerous all-conference players.”

In another move announced Thursday, assistant head coach Chris Ball was named WSU’s sole defensive coordinator. Jody Sears, who has been the co-defensive coordinator the past three years, will continue as cornerbacks coach.

Howard, who graduated from Texas A&M and played inside linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, has coached five years in the NFL and 14 at the college level, including the last five at UCLA.

He survived the changeover from Karl Dorrell to Rick Neuheisel three years ago and was named associate head coach along with his defensive line duties.

But Neuheisel and the Bruins announced Thursday his contract would not be renewed.

Vince Grippi