Newsmakers

Thu., March 25, 2010

From Staff And Wire Reports

Agreed Northern Iowa and head coach Ben Jacobson have agreed to a new 10-year deal that includes a substantial pay raise after leading the Panthers to the Sweet 16 and a win over Kansas.

•Veteran tight end Alge Crumpler has signed a free-agent contract with New England. He had 27 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown last season for the Tennessee Titans.

Awarded World No. 1 Serena Williams won the 2009 WTA Tour Player of the Year award and also took the Doubles Team of the year honors with sister Venus Williams at a ceremony held at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters captured the Comeback Player of the Year and Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award. Clijsters has won the sportsmanship award seven times.

Hired Auburn has hired Tony Barbee as basketball coach after he led UTEP to the regular-season Conference USA title and the NCAA tournament. Barbee will replace Jeff Lebo, who was fired the day after a first-round SEC tournament loss.

•Tom Pecora has agreed to become the basketball coach at Fordham. Pecora coached Hofstra the last nine seasons, compiling a 155-126 record that included four 20-win seasons and three NIT appearances. He’s a former assistant to Villanova’s Jay Wright.

Gone Oklahoma guards Tommy Mason-Griffin and Ray Willis won’t return for the Sooners next season, two weeks after the Sooners ended a 13-18 season, their first losing campaign since 1980-81. Head coach Jeff Capel says Mason-Griffin plans to pursue a pro career and Willis plans to transfer.

Returned Top reserve James Harden returned to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s lineup after missing the last six games with a strained right hamstring. Harden scored 23 points in 26 minutes in his first action back against the Rockets.

Dropped Prosecutors will not pursue domestic battery charges against former football star Warren Sapp, who was arrested in Miami Beach a day before the Super Bowl, because of inconsistencies between the victim’s statements and evidence.

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Newsmakers

Jesse Tinsley

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Rob Curley

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