Newsmakers

Hired Former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer has been hired as head coach and general manager of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Schottenheimer was introduced Wednesday as the first coach of the franchise. The Destroyers will begin play this season, the third year of existence for the UFL. A veteran with 30 years of NFL experience as a coach and player, Schottenheimer has a career coaching record of 205-139-1 (.596).

Named Longtime Michigan State assistant Mark Montgomery is the new head basketball coach at Northern Illinois. Montgomery, who played at Michigan State and is third in school history in assists and steals, coached four years at Central Michigan and spent the last 10 seasons with Tom Izzo, the last four as associate head coach.

Official Utah has removed the interim tag from women’s basketball coach Anthony Levrets’ title. Athletic director Chris Hill announced that Levrets will officially replace Elaine Elliott, who has retired after taking a year’s leave of absence. Elliott coached at Utah for 31 years, the last 27 as the head coach. Levrets served as Elliott’s top assistant for three years before assuming the interim job at the end of the 2009-10 season.

Returning Arkansas has confirmed Mike Anderson is returning to to become the Razorbacks’ basketball coach. Anderson leaves Missouri after five seasons to return to the school where he was an assistant to Nolan Richardson for 17 seasons. Anderson was 111-57 in five seasons with Missouri, including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2009.

Fired Louisiana Tech has fired men’s basketball coach Kerry Rupp after a last-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference this season. The school said it would buy out the final year of his five-year contract. Rupp had a 57-69 record, including 20-42 in the conference, over four seasons since his hiring in April 2007. Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde will chair a search committee to find Rupp’s replacement.

Out The Washington Nationals have put pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from elbow surgery last September. Doctors have said his recovery time from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months. The Nationals also claimed left-handed pitcher Lee Hyde off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.

Absent Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love will not make the team’s upcoming two-game road trip because of an injured left groin. The Wolves play at Dallas tonight and at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Love was injured last week in a game at Utah.