Newsmakers

Hired Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch was hired Thursday as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Miami Hurricanes. Fisch will remain with the Seahawks for the remainder of their playoff run. At Miami, he’ll replace Mark Whipple, who spent two seasons with the Hurricanes and wasn’t retained by new coach Al Golden.

• Connecticut hired former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni as its head football coach. The school said a news conference introducing Pasqualoni will be held today in Hartford, Conn. Pasqualoni, the Dallas Cowboys’ interim defensive coordinator, was fired by Syracuse after the 2004 season. The 61-year-old replaces Randy Edsall, who took the head coaching job at Maryland after leading UConn to an 8-5 season and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

Rumored A person familiar with the negotiations said the New York Yankees reached a three-year agreement with A.L. saves leader Rafael Soriano. Soriano must still pass a physical to complete the contract, which could be worth $35 million. Soriano led the A.L. with 45 saves last season for Tampa Bay and then became a free agent.

Hospitalized Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was hospitalized because of a rapid heartbeat and dizziness, and later returned to a hotel to meet with baseball executives. The 75-year-old Robinson said doctors at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Memorial Hospital told him he was “a little dry, not dehydrated, but a little dry.” Otherwise, he said, they could find no reason that his heart rate jumped to 190.

Finalized The Baltimore Orioles finalized a $10 million, two-year contract with right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg. The 32-year-old went 2-6 with a 3.51 ERA and 37 saves with the Toronto Blue Jays last season. He is expected to compete with Koji Uehara for the job as Baltimore’s closer.

Returning Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has decided to stay and play for coach Brady Hoke. The first player in NCAA history to throw and run for 1,500 yards hasn’t publicly reacted to the firing of former coach Rich Rodriguez last week or the hiring of Hoke. Robinson, who was chosen Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, came to Michigan because of Rodriguez’s spread offense.

Declared LSU leading rusher Stevan Ridley said he’s going to the NFL draft. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said head coach Les Miles and running backs coach Frank Wilson are both hoping to meet with Ridley in his hometown of Natchez, Miss., to find out if there’s anything they can do to bring Ridley back to the Tigers next season.

• Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb is heading to the NFL. The junior first-team All-American announced he will bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft.