Newsmakers

Died Former men’s basketball coach Gene Bartow, who succeeded John Wooden at UCLA and later began Alabama-Birmingham’s program, has died, UAB officials said. He was 81. Bartow, who was the president of the company that owns the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Forum, died Tuesday at his home in Birmingham, Ala., after a nearly two-year battle with stomach cancer.

Hired Kansas football coach Charlie Weis tapped into his connections to Notre Dame and hired Rob Ianello as the Jayhawks’ wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. Weis also announced he was retaining Buddy Wyatt as defensive line coach.

• A person familiar with the hiring says the IndyCar Series has selected Beaux Barfield as its new director for racing. Barfield will be introduced oday.

• Montana State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Wright has accepted the same position at Florida Atlantic University. Wright told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle he was hired by new coach Carl Pelini.

• Indiana has hired former Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Littrell for the same position. Kevin Johns, last year’s co-offensive coordinator, will stay on as assistant offensive coordinator. The Hoosiers’ other co-coordinator from last season, Rod Smith, left last month to take the coordinator’s job at Arizona.

Declared Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict says he’ll skip his senior season and make himself eligible for the NFL draft. The 6-foot-3 Burfict was the Sun Devils’ second-leading tackler this season with 69, including seven for losses. He also had an interception and fumble recovery.

Signed The Seattle Sounders have signed defender Marc Burch after selecting the veteran in the MLS re-entry draft in December. Terms of Burch’s deal were not released. Burch spent the past five seasons with D.C. United.

Cleared 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko has been given an exemption to compete at the European figure skating championships this month.