Newsmakers

Fired New York Liberty coach Pat Coyle has been fired after a 6-11 start to the WNBA season. The team announced Friday that assistant Anne Donovan will be the interim coach. Donovan, former Seattle Storm coach, coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Beijing.

Signed Forward Hakim Warrick has agreed to a one-year contract with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. The former Syracuse star played the past four seasons with Memphis. The Bucks made another move, sending Malik Allen to the Denver Nuggets for Walter Sharpe and Sonny Weems.

Appointed A former federal prosecutor was appointed to represent a woman charged with trying to extort Louisville coach Rick Pitino, three weeks after her prior attorney quit the case citing “irreconcilable differences” with her. U.S. Magistrate Judge James Moyer tapped James A. Earhart, who used to work in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Louisville, Ky., to handle the case of Karen Cunagin Sypher. She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of trying to extort money from Pitino and lying to the FBI.

Completed New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce finished two days of testimony before a grand jury investigating a gun charge against ex-teammate Plaxico Burress. Pierce’s attorney, Michael Bachner, said the grand jury asked Pierce many questions and his statements were “clear, coherent and consistent.” Pierce was with Burress at a Manhattan nightclub last November when the receiver shot himself in the thigh.

Suspended Major League Soccer suspended Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis for one game and fined him $3,000 for actions that led to his ejection from a July 24 game against FC Dallas. Kreis was ejected because of a verbal confrontation with officials.

Died Coach Bobby Robson, the knighted ambassador of English soccer who guided his country to the 1990 World Cup semifinals and won trophies in four countries, died Friday. He was 76. Robson had cancer and died at home in County Durham in northeast England.