Fast Break

College football

Kramer fired at Montana State

Montana State football coach Mike Kramer was fired Friday, several days after another former MSU athlete was arrested on drug charges.

The Bobcats went 8-5 last season. Kramer, a Colton, Wash., native and University of Idaho graduate, compiled a 40-43 record at the school and led the team to three Big Sky Conference championships and three NCAA playoff appearances. He became the university’s 30th head football coach in 1999 after six years as the head coach at Eastern Washington University.

Athletic director Peter Fields said the football program’s legal troubles, which date back to 2003, point to a “crisis in leadership.”

“It starts with leadership,” Fields said. “When you look at our football program’s recent history, it is apparent that its direction does not fit with what this university is all about.”

Former MSU wide receiver Rick Gatewood was arrested this week on drug charges and is accused of using his athletic scholarship money to traffic cocaine from California in the Bozeman area. His brother also faces drug charges.

Gatewood is the sixth former MSU athlete busted for crimes involving drugs or murder in the past year.

Basketball

Storm open WNBA season

If the Seattle Storm can put aside the debate about their future beyond this season, the on-court product is talented enough to contend in the WNBA’s Western Conference. The league opens play tonight with the Storm at home against Houston Comets.

Earlier this year, Washington’s Legislature decided not to vote on a plan for a $500 million, partially taxpayer-funded arena. In response, Clay Bennett, an Oklahoma City businessman who owns the Sonics and Storm, said the teams likely would not play in Seattle after the 2007-08 season.

Seattle welcomes back all five starters from last season, which ended in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. Since winning the WNBA title in 2004, the Storm have gone 38-30 in the regular season and then made swift playoff exits both years.

Basketball

Rockets decide for Van Gundy

If Jeff Van Gundy had decided sooner that he wanted to return to the Houston Rockets, he would still have a job. At least that’s what the team said after firing him.

Van Gundy had one season left on a nonguaranteed contract. When the season ended, Van Gundy said he needed time to ponder his future.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said Van Gundy gave the team his blessing to seek other candidates, in case he decided not to coach anymore. But Van Gundy said he told the Rockets all along that he wanted to come back as coach.