Briefly

Basketball

Snyder gets helm in Utah

The Utah Jazz have announced former Atlanta Hawks assistant Quin Snyder as their new head coach, signing him to a three-year deal to replace Tyrone Corbin. It is the first head coaching job for Snyder in the NBA but he had previously coached Missouri at college level and was an assistant with the Hawks this year. "The opportunity to join the Utah Jazz and to be part of such a highly respected franchise with an incredibly bright future is a great honor," Snyder said in a statement.

Williams denies McCants story

North Carolina coach Roy Williams is denying allegations of academic wrongdoing by former player Rashad McCants connected to the school's long-running academic scandal. In an interview with ESPN's Outside the Lines, McCants - the second-leading scorer on Williams' first NCAA championship team in 2005 - says tutors wrote papers for him and Williams knew about no-show classes popular with athletes. In a statement on Friday, Williams says he did not "know about or do anything close to what" McCants alleges, and that former players would agree with him.

Ice Hockey

Penguins fire coach Bylsma

Jim Rutherford doesn't believe the Pittsburgh Penguins need to undergo a massive overhaul to regain their spot among the NHL's elite, but one thing is certain: Dan Bylsma won't be part of the process. The Penguins fired the franchise's all-time winningest coach on Friday while hiring Rutherford away from the Carolina Hurricanes to replace Ray Shero as general manager. Rutherford's first decision was to end the three weeks of limbo for Bylsma, whose star-laden teams had fallen well short of the Stanley Cup since winning it all in 2009.

Baseball

Santana ends comeback bid

Johan Santana's comeback bid with the Baltimore Orioles ended on Friday when the two-time Cy Young Award winner tore his Achilles tendon. The injury occurred in Florida while Santana was pitching in extended spring training. He was struck by a line drive before stumbling in pursuit of the ball. A MRI revealed a torn tendon. "The tendon is severed, and it will in effect end his season," Orioles vice-president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said.

NFL

Texans sign top draft pick

Jadeveon Clowney, the No 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, signed his rookie contract with the Houston Texans on Friday. The four-year deal is worth a reported $22.27 million - fully guaranteed - and includes a $14.5 million signing bonus. Clowney, a defensive end, registered 40 tackles, including 11 1/2 for losses, and three quarterback sacks during his junior season at the University of South Carolina in 2013. He had posted single-season school records for sacks (13) and tackles for loss (23 1/2) during his sophomore campaign.

(China Daily 06/08/2014 page11)