coach

SACRAMENTO — Heartbreaking loss.

That’s the only way to describe what San Juan Hills players, coaches and fans were feeling on Saturday at Golden 1 Center when Alex Osterloh made two of three free throws with 0.3 seconds left to give Atherton Sacred Heart Prep a 47-45 victory in the Division IV state boys’ basketball championship game.

Osterloh was fouled at the top of the key by Kellen Owens with the scored tied.

“I’m pretty sure I was fouled,” Osterloh said.

San Juan Hills had earlier lost the ball on a turnover, its 19th of the game, surrendering its chance to take the lead.

“It was a tough ending,” San Juan Hills coach Jason Efstathiou said. “We turned over the ball too much. Nineteen is insane. Ultimately we didn’t do a good enough job handling pressure.”

San Juan Hills (22-14) came back from a 12-point deficit in the second quarter to take a four-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Garrett Brehmer finished with 17 points while Rocco Jensen had 10 points and eight rebounds for San Juan Hills. Osterloh scored 15 points and Pat Bala had 13.

“There’s a little distaste,” Efstathiou said, “but at the same time we got to be here.”

Hall of Fame high school football coach Bob Johnson, who turned El Toro and Mission Viejo into powerhouse high school football programs and became one of the winningest coaches in state history, has died. He was 80. He had been battling Alzheimer’s.

“I feel for the family,” Mission Viejo football coach Chad Johnson (no relation) said Wednesday.

Johnson passed early Wednesday morning,

Johnson won six Southern Section titles coaching at Mission Viejo and three at El Toro while winning 338 games, the second winningest in Orange County history and in the top five in state history, according to the Orange County Register.

He retired after the 2017 season and was inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

His two sons, Rob and Bret, were standout high school quarterbacks before enrolling at USC and UCLA, respectively. Rob made it to the NFL. Both became coaches after their playing days were completed. Rob still coaches as an assistant at Mission Viejo.

When Jeff Bryant was playing high school basketball at Sylmar, the top teams in the City Section were annually among the best in California.

“The City dominated back in the day,” Bryant, now the head coach at Palisades, said Tuesday before Southern California Regional Division II boys’ basketball final. His Dolphins lost a heartbreaker, 59-57 at Bakersfield Christian, falling a win short of a trip to Sacramento for the state finals.

Eleven days earlier Palisades captured the City Open Division crown, going undefeated against section opponents, and with 10 players — including all five starters — returning next season, Bryant not only has his sights set on a repeat, he wants to reverse a 15-year trend during which City teams have struggled to compete at the highest level.

City boys teams won the state’s top division five times in six years from 1993-98 and seven times in nine years from 2002-10. However, since the Open Division debuted in 2013 only two City teams have advanced to the regional finals in that division — Westchester in 2014 and Fairfax in 2015 — and the last time a City team made the Open bracket was five years ago when Birmingham lost in the first round.

Bryant, who graduated in 2006, will be rooting for his former coach on Friday when his alma mater plays for the Division V state championship under the guidance of Bort Escoto, who piloted the Spartans to the City Division II title on the same night Palisades won the Open Division. Sylmar was dropped down to Division V for regionals and ran the table.

Birmingham was upset by Fairfax in the opening round of the City Open Division playoffs Feb. 11 and dropped to Division III for the regional tournament. The Patriots have since reeled off four convincing victories and will also play for a state title Friday afternoon.

Birmingham and Sylmar are the latest City teams to benefit from regional playoff expansion in which teams are placed several divisions lower from where they played in their section. Chatsworth advanced to the Division II state final last winter after losing in the City Open Division final and reached the Division IV state final after its City Open semifinal loss two years ago. Like Sylmar this season, Verdugo Hills was the City Division II champion in 2024 and went on to play for the Division V state title.

On the girls’ side, no City squad has won an Open Division state playoff game. Five teams from the section have received berths in the highest division over the last 14 years, but none since Fairfax in 2018. Narbonne is the last City team to conquer the state’s top division, claiming back-to-back Division I titles in 2000 and 2001, long before the Open debuted.

Like the boys, City girls’ teams fare well when dropped to lower divisions.

Palisades, which fell in the first round in the City Open Division, plays for the state Division IV crown Saturday while City Open Division champion Westchester was seeded 14th in Division I for regionals and lost in the first round. Granada Hills went to the Division III state finals two years ago after losing in the first round of the City’s Open Division.

Before taking the helm at Palisades, Bryant guided West Ranch of the Southern Section into the Open Division regional playoffs in 2023. Now he aims to do the same at a school in the section he once played in.

Walsall have sacked head coach Mat Sadler following Tuesday’s defeat by Salford City which left them with one win in their past 11 matches in League Two.

The 1-0 loss was their third in a row and further dented their fading challenge for a play-off place.

Walsall were four points clear at the top of the table in early December, but a run of two wins in 14 since Boxing Day has left them 11th in the table, three points outside the top seven with 10 games remaining.

Sadler, a former defender at the club, leaves after a nearly three years in charge, having been appointed on a permanent basis in May 2023 following a short interim stint.

“I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the significant efforts and contributions of Mat, both as a professional and as a person, during his time at the club,” Walsall co-chairman Ben Boycott said.

“We thank him for his dedicated service and wish him the very best for the future.”

Coach Darren Byfield will take interim charge of the team with support from Terry Connor and the rest of the backroom staff, the club also confirmed.

On the road to this point, he has lost a few warriors – Jamie Ritchie and Jamie Dobie after the Calcutta Cup and now Scott Cummings and Gregor Brown, too.

That’s a stellar cast list in the casualty unit, particularly the three forwards and especially the locks, who have been immense in Scotland’s recovery from the despondency of Rome.

Elliot Millar-Mills, previously unsung, had such a terrific impact off the bench against England and Wales that his injury can now be categorised as a blow.

In keeping with this trippy, but utterly wonderful, championship, Duhan van der Merwe is also out, a loss that would have been seen as an absolute calamity not that long ago.

Now, given his bit-part season, it’s merely regrettable but entirely salvageable. Even on his very best form it’s hard to see how he would have shifted Graham, scorer of two tries against France, and Kyle Steyn, arguably the player of the entire tournament so far.

In the four games, Townsend has started two different full-backs and three different left wings. He has changed his hooker from Italy to England, England to Wales and Wales to France – Ewan Ashman, George Turner and Dave Cherry all getting the nod at different times.

He’s had three different second-row combinations and three different back-rows. Some of this has been forced by injury.

His first three benches have had a 5-3 split before he switched to 6-2 against France, a day when Rory Darge, the brilliant flanker, ended up playing centre alongside the inspirational captain, Sione Tuipulotu.

So what now? Ireland were blown away by France, sneaked home against Italy, were utterly imperious against England and then battled to a win against Wales.

They have issues with their scrum, among other things, but they have home advantage and an astonishing win rate against Scotland.

Does Townsend have many big calls to make for such a momentous game?

If any photo reveals the intensity of two All-Americans, it’s this one from late in the game, where Jerzy Robinson (left) of Sierra Canyon and Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian battled in the Open Division final.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Steve Borthwick’s boss has given the England coach his backing, but says there will be a full examination of the woeful Six Nations campaign after the team’s final-round match against France on Saturday.

England are fifth in the table and well out of the title running after successive defeats by Scotland, Ireland and Italy – which was the first ever loss to the Azzurri – ruined their ambitions and prompted questions over Borthwick’s future.

“After a 12-match winning run, these past three results have been hugely disappointing, and we feel that just as much as everyone else,” said Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney.

“Steve and his coaching team are working tirelessly to make improvements, and we remain fully committed to supporting them and the players as they face France this weekend and then look ahead to the Nations Championship.

“Part of that support is being open about what hasn’t gone right during this Six Nations and making sure everyone has a clear sense of how we move through those challenges together. That’s something we’ll be talking through and working on in the days and weeks ahead.

“We will work together to understand and rectify why we have been unable to meet the expectations and anticipation going into these games.

“England fans rightly expect a team that learns and grows through adversity, and we’re confident this group will do everything they can to deliver that.”

Borthwick defended his record and the direction of the team after Italy, who had lost their previous 32 games against England, ran out 23-18 winners in Rome.

“Absolutely,” replied the 46-year-old when asked if he was the right man for the job.

“Right now this is a tough period, but what we will do is learn from it and make sure we are stronger going forward.

“It is tough right now and we are not hiding away from the fact it is tough.”

More to follow.

A pimp whose sex worker allegedly advertised on social media that she was willing to be anything from “arm candy” for a party to a “no strings attached girlfriend” has been charged with a slew of criminal charges in Kern County Superior Court.

The alleged pimp, Kevin Mays, was an assistant men’s basketball coach and former player at Cal State Bakersfield.

Mays faces 11 charges, including pimping, possession of automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to sell. An investigation by the Bakersfield Police Department also led to separate charges citing Mays for possession of more than 600 images of youth or child pornography and distribution of obscene matter involving someone younger than 18.

Mays, who was arrested in September 2025, is being held without bail. He has pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 13 .

The case, first reported by Shwetha Surendran of ESPN, has upended the athletic department at CSU Bakersfield. Longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor have left their jobs, and Condor filed a lawsuit against the school alleging wrongful termination, according to court documents obtained by The Times.

CSU Bakersfield officials said the allegations against Mays did not involve a student. Nevertheless, the school formed a commission to examine the athletic program and recommend changes.

“When CSU Bakersfield received an anonymous report in August of 2025 that a member of our coaching staff was engaged in human trafficking, we took immediate action in notifying university police and the Bakersfield Police Department,” the school wrote in a statement. “Both agencies launched investigations that resulted in an arrest within days. Shortly after, the university terminated the coach.

“But the nature of the allegations devastated our campus community. We seized the opportunity to strengthen education and prevention efforts around human trafficking. To that end, we consulted with a local human trafficking expert and offered training and education focused on awareness and prevention for our campus community.”

Police said the alleged victim is 23. In the advertisement she posted last summer, she stated that she charged $300 for a half hour and $500 for 60 minutes. Authorities conducted a sting operation in September, arranging to meet her in a hotel room that Mays rented.

In an interview with police after the operation, she referred to Mays as her boyfriend and said he paid for her travel accommodations in Oregon, Washington and Nevada in addition to California.

Those locations were listed in an anonymous email to Barnes last fall titled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE 911 911.”

“HE IS TRAFFICKING A GIRL BY THE NAME OF [redacted],” the email read, according to police records. “HE HAS BEEN TRAFFICKING THIS GIRL SINCE MAY.”

Barnes turned over the email to university police, who attempted to contact the sender and received a subsequent email, according to ESPN. The tipster claimed to have known the alleged victim and Mays through previous travel for sex work. The person said Mays presented himself as a professional gambler and allegedly threatened to take away the tipster’s child if the person exposed his activities.

Mays, who was born in Queens, N.Y., attended high school at St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield, Wis., and played at Odessa Community College in Odessa, Texas, before transferring to CSU Bakersfield ahead of the 2014-2015 season.

“We are excited about signing Kevin as he fits our culture,” Barnes said of Mays at the time.

A year later, as a senior forward, Mays helped CSU Bakersfield to a 24-10 record and scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Roadrunners’ first-round NCAA tournament loss to Oklahoma. He later returned to the school as a player-development coordinator.

In his application for the player-development position in 2019, Mays wrote that he was motivated by helping players improve on and off the court, according to school records obtained by ESPN.

“I gained lots of experience dealing with learning to lead young men and help them navigate the Division I experience in a successful manner,” Mays wrote. “CSUB helped me tremendously, and I look forward to giving back.”

Barnes was Mays’ coach, and he hired his former player last fall, paying him $3,000 a month. Now, Mays is in jail awaiting trial and Barnes is unemployed.

“The safety and well-being of our students and all CSU Bakersfield community members remain our highest priority,” the school said in its statement. “This work is sustained every day by the dedication of our faculty, staff and students. Their commitment to one another and to our shared values strengthens the culture of care and accountability we strive to build at CSUB.”

“I’m enjoying the role across all formats and I’d love to carry that on,” added McCullum.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to be in this position over the past three and a half years. I feel like we’ve made some significant improvements across the various formats.

“Yes, we’ve missed some opportunities, but I think this team has a real opportunity over the coming years to continue to improve and hopefully finish what we started. I’d love to be a part of that.”

Key backed McCullum during the Ashes, but neither ECB chief executive Richard Gould nor chair Richard Thompson have publicly spoken on his future.

At the end of the Ashes, McCullum also received support from Test skipper Ben Stokes, while the relationship between McCullum and Brook has blossomed during the T20 World Cup.

Asked after the semi-final defeat if McCullum should stay in charge, Brook said: “125%. I’ve said plenty of times he’s the best coach I’ve ever had.

“The way he speaks to everybody, he’s got an aura in the dressing room, and everybody looks up to him. The things he’s done over the four years since he took over has changed English cricket for hopefully the best.

“Our partnership has been good throughout the competition and since I’ve taken over. Long may it continue.”

Failures in away Ashes tours have often signalled change in the management of England teams.

Speaking on Sky Sports, former England captain Nasser Hussain said the ECB has to guard against repeating the mistakes of the past, while not ignoring the failures of this latest defeat in Australia.

“What you have to get away from is going to the Ashes, you lose, you get rid of the coach and captain, and you start all over again. I’m never a fan of that,” said Hussain.

“But I’m also not keen on, a couple of months later, forgetting what happened in the Ashes, and how poor England were on and off the field – all the mistakes that were made.

“There is a feeling Brook and McCullum are aligned, but there is a suggestion there was a divergence during the Ashes and that is a concern.

“They’ve made good decisions in the white-ball game that they didn’t in the Ashes. They missed an opportunity there and you can’t just brush over that.”

Colorado backup quarterback Dominiq Ponder died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash in Boulder County. He was 23.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3 at around 3 a.m. when he lost control on a righthand curve. The car went through a guardrail and hit an electrical line pole before rolling down an embankment and catching fire.

Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as a factor,” police said.

A three-star prospect out of Carol City High in Opa Locka, Fla., Ponder spent a year at Bethune-Cookman University before transferring to Colorado. He was a redshirt in 2024 and saw minimal action in 2025 — going 0-for-1 passing and rushing twice for minus-4 yards in two game appearances — but still made an impact on his coaches and teammates.

“Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader,” Colorado Coach Deion Sanders wrote Sunday on X. “Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”

Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion called Ponder “a joy to be around & coach!”

“gonna be tough but man this one hurts Lord,” Marion wrote on X. “getting that call from his dad today didn’t feel real. Love you Dom! God cover his family & our team, especially our qb room!

Fellow Colorado backup quarterback Colton Allen posted a lengthy tribute to Ponder on Instagram.

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo said in a statement that Ponder “epitomized the values of passion, enthusiasm, leadership, toughness, and intelligence that were revered by his teammates and coaches alike. Our hearts go out to his family and all of his teammates during this difficult time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

There are All-Star teams. Then there’s Sierra Canyon’s boys’ basketball team, made up of two McDonald’s All-Americans, a former Trinity League MVP, a star guard from North Carolina and several other newcomers that complete a nine-man rotation that no one in Southern California has been able to beat.

Coach Andre Chevalier pushes the buttons and has so much depth that it gives him the kind of options any coach would welcome. About the only question regarding the Trailblazers has been with so many top players, would they be unselfish enough to share the ball with teammates?

The answer is a resounding yes. The Trailblazers (27-1) won their first Southern Section Open Division title since the pandemic season of 2020 on Saturday night, defeating Mission League rival Harvard-Westlake 59-53 at Toyota Arena in Ontario.

Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon celebrates the Open Division championship.

(Steve Galluzzo)

Harvard-Westlake kept battling despite trailing by 11 points at halftime. They trailed 56-53 with 19 seconds left after a three by Joe Sterling. The Trailblazers were able to clinch victory thanks to one free throw from JJ Sati-Grier and two from Brannon Martinsen. Martinsen finished with 18 points, Brandon McCoy had 13 points and Maxi Adams had 12 points.

“This group has been amazing,” Chevalier said. “It’s been one of the best seasons, maybe ever.”

Said Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo: “I thought they made some big shots in big moments, but I’m incredibly proud of our fight.”

No opponent had finished within 13 points of Sierra Canyon over the last month, and Chevalier gave credit to Rebibo and the Wolverines for taking them to the brink.

“David Rebibo is a heck of a coach,” he said. “No matter what roster we have, he always manages to have an elite team every year.”

Sterling finished with 18 points and Pierce Thompson scored 15 points.

Sierra Canyon has reached peak form. One curiosity was seeing how well the Trailblazers would fare leaving their comfortable home court in Chatsworth to play in an arena setting. But there was little difference.

More important is Sierra Canyon’s depth, which was put on display with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter after McDonald’s All-American McCoy picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench with a 45-39 lead. Over the next 2½ minutes, Sierra Canyon’s lead expanded to 12 points, aided by threes from Sati-Grier, a sophomore guard from North Carolina, and Martinsen, who was the Trinity League MVP two years ago at Mater Dei. That’s the challenge in trying to topple the Trailblazers — there’s always someone ready to step forward to deliver.

Now the Trailblazers can get ready to be the No. 1 seed in the Southern California Open Division regional playoffs, with an opportunity to advance to the state championship game in Sacramento in two weeks. The team looks focused, and even if one or two top players are off their games, the magic of being nine deep is knowing there’s always someone ready to come to the rescue.

Chevalier, though, wondered, “Can we stay hungry?”

McCoy answered that he’s “starving” for a state championship in the postgame news conference, which made his coach smile.

It’s been pretty clear for more than a month that Sierra Canyon has separated itself, and it will take a major upset to halt the Trailblazers’ clear path to Sacramento.

Saracens have rejected “disrespectful” reports that they have offered Ireland head coach Andy Farrell a coaching role for after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The club said “no offer has been made” after the Irish Independent reported that Farrell has been approached with a deal worth more than £1m per year to return to Sarries following next year’s tournament in Australia.

Brendan Venter will return to the director of rugby role at the Premiership club when long-serving Mark McCall steps down at the end of the season.

“Andy has not discussed his future with anyone on the board or ownership group of Saracens and we can categorically state, despite numerous reports to the contrary in the press, that no offer has been made to Andy,” the club statement read.

“The misguided reporting is disrespectful to Brendan Venter who will be assuming the DOR [director of rugby] responsibilities from Mark McCall at the end of the 25-26 season. It is also disrespectful to Andy and the IRFU.”

Farrell was a Saracens player between 2005 and 2009, also winning eight England caps, having switched to union after a long and successful career in rugby league with Wigan, during which he also captained Great Britain. After retiring as a player, he took his first steps into coaching with Saracens.

The 50-year-old – whose son Owen rejoined the Premiership outfit last summer after a season in France with Racing 92 – took over as Ireland head coach in 2019 from Joe Schmidt, stepping up from an assistant role he took up in 2016.

In 2023, he led Ireland to a Six Nations Grand Slam and the championship title the following year.

He then turned his attention to the British and Irish Lions, guiding them to a 2-1 series victory over Australia last year, before returning to the Ireland role.

“Given Andy’s close relationship with Saracens, the club looks forward to welcoming him to more home fixtures once the Six Nations Championship has concluded,” the Saracens statement concluded.

Joel Quenneville became the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games with the Ducks’ 6-5 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.

Quenneville joined Scotty Bowman in an exclusive hockey club with a milestone win in the Ducks’ first game back from the Olympic break.

Cutter Gauthier scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:14 to play for the Ducks, who erased a pair of two-goal deficits. Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists in his first appearance since Jan. 10 for the Ducks, who have won six straight home games and 10 of 12 overall to leapfrog the Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division.

Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard scored late in the second period to put the Oilers ahead, but Carlsson and Olen Zellweger scored early in the third to even it again.

Rookie Matt Savoie then converted a rebound late in a power play for his 10th career goal, but Beckett Sennecke answered 46 seconds later with a slick wrist shot for his 19th goal — tops among NHL rookies.

Gauthier then converted a rebound of Carlsson’s shot, setting off a wild celebration inside a sold-out Honda Center.

Jack Roslovic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Edmonton. Connor McDavid had two assists, giving the Olympic silver medalist an NHL-best 98 points in 59 games.

Ian Moore and Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks, and Lukas Dostal made 22 saves.

Tristan Jarry made 20 saves before getting pulled for Connor Ingram after Sennecke’s tying goal with 13:21 to play.

Carlsson was outstanding in his return to the Ducks’ lineup after missing the final 11 games before the break with a thigh injury that kept him out of the Olympics.

Mikael Granlund didn’t play for the Ducks after captaining Finland to bronze in Milan. None of the Oilers’ Olympians sat out as they opened a three-game California trip.

Former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who led the Cavaliers to the 2019 national title, has been hired by the Lakers as an NBA draft advisor to Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager. Bennett’s record was 364-136 from 2009-24.

“As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource,” Pelinka said in a statement. “Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”

Virginia honored Bennett in a ceremony before Saturday’s 86-83 win over Miami, naming the court at John Paul Jones Arena after him.

Bennett was the AP national coach of the year in 2007 and 2018. He led Virginia to six ACC regular-season championships. He previously coached at Washington State from 2006-09.

“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”

Bennett played under his father, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin-Green Bay before playing four years in the NBA, including three for Charlotte from 1992-95.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

The City Section boys’ soccer playoffs are in turmoil.

On Wednesday, City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos announced that Marquez and South East have been removed from the Open Division playoffs because of ineligible players that violated CIF bylaw 600, which bans players from participating in outside leagues during the season of their sport. Both players are involved with MLS Next, a soccer development program.

South East reached the Open Division final after beating Marquez in the semifinals. Marquez was scheduled to face El Camino Real in the final but now is also out. As a result, two schools that were beaten in the first round, Birmingham and Venice, will play Thursday at Birmingham for the right to face El Camino Real at 6 p.m. at Pasadena City College on Saturday for the Open Division title.

But there are more problems. At least four Birmingham players, thinking their season had ended, have already started playing for their club teams, so they won’t be eligible to play for the Patriots on Thursday.

Franklin was also removed from the playoffs, and Chatsworth and L.A. Jordan forfeited games this season for similar reasons.

“It’s a big mess,” Lagos said.

Birmingham athletic director Rick Prizant, whose school is part of the West Valley League, is proposing to change bylaw 600.

“This proves we should get rid of the rule,” he said.

Lagos emphasizes before the season to coaches that players can’t play in club competitions or in showcases during their high school soccer season. Lagos said she doesn’t believe any of the head coaches were aware of the violations. She received an email last week informing her of a possible South East violation and another Monday regarding Marquez.

Steve Hermon, West Brom commentator for BBC Radio WM

Eric Ramsay’s reign was nothing short of disastrous. His tenure lasted just 44 days, which happens to be the same as Brian Clough’s infamous spell at Leeds United in 1974.

That featured in a movie about the legendary manager’s life, The Damned United, and it had elements of comedy, but if the Welsh head coach’s stay at The Hawthorns were to be made into a film, the genre would have to be horror.

The 34-year-old leaves with a litany of unwanted records.

It is the shortest reign of any permanent Baggies boss in their history, he oversaw their heaviest home defeat in the second tier as they were hammered 5-0 by Norwich City, and his win percentage is 0%.

Taking just four points – courtesy of four draws – in his eight league games has dropped the club deep into a relegation battle.

Ramsay refused to say it, but he knew that Tuesday night’s game with Charlton Athletic was a must-win.

He told me in his interview after the 1-1 draw that it wasn’t good enough and that “what will be, will be”, as if knowing what was to come just minutes later.

The former Minnesota United boss and his assistant, Dennis Lawrence, were summoned into a boardroom meeting with chairman Shilen Patel after his media duties were complete, and the axe fell.

The Welshman accepted in his final interview with me that he was “not blameless”, and while he is no doubt a clever man, switching immediately to a 3-4-3 formation with players not equipped to play that way was not a smart move.

He promptly ditched it after another loss to Portsmouth.

Questions must also be asked of the players, whose failure to take chances has led to a second sacking of the season, and the third in less than a year, but the hierarchy must also provide answers to the fans.

Their naive decision to give the job to a second young head coach in a row has put the club at risk of an unthinkable drop into the third tier for only the second time in their history.

But there won’t be time to analyse a host of mistakes now.

James Morrison begins a third spell in interim charge in the space of less than 11 months.

The former midfielder is unbeaten in the three games he’s overseen and said, in his own words after the Swansea City FA Cup victory just hours before Ramsay’s arrival six weeks ago, West Brom is “in his DNA”.

With 12 games to go, he will do all he can to keep the club he loves in the Championship.

Meanwhile, back at boardroom level, and just days before the second anniversary of his takeover of the club, Patel will begin the search for his fourth head coach.

How does Mick Cronin survive this, sending his own player off the court after hustling hard on defense to get a piece of the ball but unfortunately too much contact and drew a foul. Does he not constantly rip his team for weak defense?

Steven Jamerson, you deserved better from your coach and I won’t be surprised if your teammates and UCLA’s decision-makers agree going forward. Except …. he just recently got an extension. Way to go, Martin Jarmond.

Ron Mortvedt
San Bernardino

How can UCLA’s combustible coach possibly demand discipline, hold his players responsible, or blame them for failing to take accountability when, night after night, he’s the most unhinged person in the building? Hey Mick, as my grandma used to say, “When you point a finger at someone, three point back at you.”

Steve Ross
Carmel

Bill Plaschke nailed it in his column today. Mick Cronin just seems to be angry all the time prowling the sidelines. What does that look like to a kid still playing in high school? How AD Martin Jarmond gave him an extended contract with a $22.5-million buyout is beyond me. It’s going to cost UCLA to move on from him. It would be a lot easier if he only starts throwing chairs.

Paul Atkinson
Ventura

The sky has fallen! For the first time I can remember I agree with something Bill Plaschke has written!

Julian Pollok

Palm Desert

As a lifelong fan and proud alumnus, I believe it’s time for UCLA to seriously evaluate the direction of its men’s basketball program. Why would we want a head coach who appears angry every time he’s in the spotlight? Leadership sets the tone, and right now that tone feels tense and joyless. Players want to compete for someone who inspires them and makes them better — not someone whose public demeanor seems rooted in frustration.

Watching from the outside, it often looks like the team is playing tight rather than confident, and that reflects leadership. Mick Cronin has had success and deserves credit for that, but UCLA basketball is bigger than any one résumé; if the standard is sustained excellence and a culture players are proud to represent, then it’s fair to question whether this is the right long-term fit for the program.

Michael Gesas
Beverly Hills

One of the toughest decisions for Jared Honig came three years ago. He’s a Granada Hills High graduate and was a teacher and girls’ basketball coach at his alma mater “forever.”

But he and his wife lived in Santa Clarita and just had a third child.

So when the Valencia High girls’ basketball coaching job opened, the decision was made to leave Granada Hills to be closer to home. Three years later, Honig has Valencia in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals with a playoff game on Saturday night at home against Windward.

The team is rising. The Vikings knocked off Troy and the winningest coach in California history, Kevin Kiernan, in the quarterfinals.

“That’s my first time coaching against him,” Honig said. “That was pretty cool.”

Leading the Vikings has been sophomore Kamilla Basyrova, who made a school-record 94 three-pointers last season and has already broken that record this season while averaging 19.8 points.

“Kamilla is an amazing three-point shooter,” Honig said.

Senior Cara McKell is averaging 17.8 points. The Vikings face an improving Windward team that struggled early but has caught fire, led by Charis Rainey.

Honig is starting to prepare his two girls and one boy for future basketball competitions. They’re 8, 6 and 3. He’s found a new home at Valencia High.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

MILAN — Jordan Stolz’s run for the speedskating triple crown came up short in the 1,500 meters Thursday, with the American settling for silver behind China’s Ning Zhongyan at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Ning set an Olympic record, blazing the oval at Milano Speed Skating Stadium in 1 minute and 41.98 seconds. Stolz, who won gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters to become the first U.S. man to win in both distances in the same Olympic Games since 1980, had the fastest finishing kick of the top eight skaters, but reached for the line 0.77 of a second behind Ning at 1:42.75.

Stolz was the top-ranked racer in the 1,500-meter distance and raced in the final pair. Watching the speedskating superstar, Ning clasped his hands in prayer during the final race. When the final time flashed across the screen, his coach held Ning’s hands in the air. He began to sob. The 26-year-old earned his first Olympic gold medal after earning bronze in the 1,000 and the team pursuit.

Hoping to win four gold medals in Milan, Stolz still has an opportunity to add a third in the mass start on Saturday.

From Bill Plaschke: It was the look on Steven Jamerson II’s face.

That was the toughest thing to watch. That was what seared into the mind. That’s what made you want to fire Mick Cronin on the spot.

It was a look of embarrassment. It was a look of confusion. It was the look of a young man who had just been cruelly pushed around by someone with more power.

Mick Cronin is a classic bully, and the fact that UCLA continues to empower him with new contracts and no questions is misguided malfeasance.

So, he wins games. He doesn’t win enough to compensate for incidents like Tuesday night in East Lansing, Mich., where Cronin became perhaps the first college coach in history to eject his own player from the game and order him to the locker room in the middle of the game.

Yes, Cronin holds players accountable. That’s fine, as long as he also holds himself accountable, but that didn’t happen when, after his team was beaten by 23 points by Michigan State in a second consecutive humiliating loss, he publicly criticized Jamerson for the hard foul that led to the ejection incident and then wrongly assailed a reporter for allegedly raising his voice during postgame questioning.

Continue reading here

USC men blown out by Illinois

From Ryan Kartje: Alijah Arenas sank into a folding chair, his face buried in a towel, his breathing heavy.

For the last few days, smack dab in the middle of his long-awaited breakthrough at USC, Arenas was sick. He’d spent the last few days worn down and missed practice Tuesday, leaving his status for Wednesday night’s critical tilt with No. 10 Illinois uncertain until a few hours before. But the Trojans star freshman refused to sit out, resolving instead to tough it out against a true Big Ten contender, even if he wasn’t at 100%.

“That takes real courage,” USC forward Jacob Cofie said.

Indeed, it was a noble effort, albeit one that meant little by the time Arenas collapsed into the bench, breathless, midway through the first half Wednesday. By that point, Illinois was already rolling, well on their way to a 101-65 victory that left USC gasping for air.

“It’s pretty simple,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “We were not good enough tonight. We’ve got to get better in all aspects.”

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USC box score

Big Ten standings

Teoscar Hernández ready for bounce-back season

From Jack Vita: A slimmer Teoscar Hernández reported to Camelback Ranch this week, willing to take on a new role in the Dodgers’ quest for a three-peat.

Hernández acknowledged Tuesday that he played through a nagging left groin injury last year, which forced him to miss time early in the season.

“I didn’t get back in my health,” Hernández said. “When I got back from the injury, I was fighting through it. Obviously, I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to be on the field and try to help the team.”

Hernández says he was overweight in 2025, and took better care of his body this past winter.

“It’s a combination of eating really good or knowing what you’re eating, and working a little harder than normal,” Hernández said. “But, right now I’m feeling really good. Back to the way I used to be. My whole career I used to be 204-205 [lbs.], in that range. Last year, I was a little over [that], but I’m back to normal right now.”

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Where River Ryan and Gavin Stone figure in the Dodgers’ crowded pitching plans

Galaxy ready for another season without Riqui Puig

From Kevin Baxter: On Jan. 1, Galaxy coach Greg Vanney sent a text to his best player, wishing him a happy new year. The next day Riqui Puig responded, but his answer didn’t alter the resolutions Vanney had made for 2026.

Puig, who missed all of 2025 because of a torn ACL in his left knee, told his coach he needed another surgery, one that will sideline him this season as well. Yet after the shock wore off, Vanney and general manager Will Kuntz decided to stick with the plans they took into the offseason rather than blowing them up because Puig would again be sidelined.

“We wanted to reinforce the back line. We needed to look for a [striker]. We’ve done both of those things successfully,” Vanney said. “The difference is that we don’t have Riqui’s qualities, which I think over the course of last year we learned a little bit about ourselves and how to deal with it.”

Indeed, after going winless in their first 16 games — the worst start ever for a reigning MLS champion — the Galaxy figured out how to play without their playmaker in the second half, going 7-6-5 in MLS and beating three of Mexico’s top teams in the Leagues Cup.

Continue reading here

This day in sports history

1928 — Canada wins the gold medal in ice hockey at the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Canada, represented by the 1926 Toronto University team, receives a bye to the final round. The Canadians beat Sweden 11-0, Britain 14-0 and Switzerland 13-0.

1955 — Bernie Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 10-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

1977 — Rod Gilbert of the New York Rangers gets his 1,000th point with a goal in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.

1982 — Atlanta’s 127-122 four-overtime win over Seattle equals the fourth-longest game in NBA history and the second-longest since the institution of the 24-second clock.

1984 — Phil and Steve Mahre of the United States become the first brothers to finish 1-2 in an Olympic event, the men’s slalom, at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union beats Czechoslovakia 2-0 to win the gold medal in hockey.

1984 — Cale Yarborough sweeps into the lead two turns before the finish to win the Daytona 500. He becomes the second driver to win consecutive Daytona 500s; Richard Petty was the other.

1993 — Wendel Suckow edges two-time world champion Georg Hackl of Germany by 0.106 seconds to capture the first world luge championship medal of any kind for the United States.

1994 — Speedskater Bonnie Blair wins the fourth gold of her Olympic career with her third consecutive 500-meter victory.

2002 — In Salt Lake City, bobsledders Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers give the United States 21 medals in the Winter Games.

2005 — Lindsay Kennedy becomes the first woman to play in a Major Indoor Soccer League game. Kennedy, a St. Louis forward, participates in the final 76 seconds of Milwaukee’s 7-3 win over the Steamers at Savvis Center.

2005 — Schreiner ends its NCAA-record losing streak at 83 games, beating Sul Ross State 75-69 in a women’s basketball game. It’s the Division III Mountaineers first win since Jan. 17, 2002, when they also beat Sul Ross.

2012 — American star Hannah Kearney’s all-discipline record for consecutive FIS World Cup victories ends at 16 with a semifinal loss in a dual moguls event at Naeba, Japan. Kearney’s streak began in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Jan. 22, 2011.

2012 — Steven Holcomb and brakeman Steve Langton win the two-man bobsled in Lake Placid, N.Y., the first time the U.S. captures this event at the world championships.

2014 — Norway wins the first Olympic mixed relay in biathlon at the Sochi Games and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen becomes the most decorated Winter Olympian ever with 13 medals. Ted Ligety wins the giant slalom with a dominating performance, becoming the first American man to win two Olympic gold medals in Alpine skiing.

2017 — Laura Dahlmeier wins the world title in the women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start, becoming the first to win five gold medals at a single biathlon world championship.

2017 — Anthony Davis scores 52 points, 10 more than Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star record that had stood for 55 years. The Western Conference beats the Eastern Conference 192-182 in the highest-scoring game in league history.

2021 — In a softening of 4-year WADA ban on Russia from all international sport, Russia to compete under acronym “ROC” after name of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

It was the look on Steven Jamerson II’s face.

That was the toughest thing to watch. That was what seared into the mind. That’s what made you want to fire Mick Cronin on the spot.

It was a look of embarrassment. It was a look of confusion. It was the look of a young man who had just been cruelly pushed around by someone with more power.

Mick Cronin is a classic bully, and the fact that UCLA continues to empower him with new contracts and no questions is misguided malfeasance.

So, he wins games. He doesn’t win enough to compensate for incidents like Tuesday night in East Lansing, Mich., where Cronin became perhaps the first college coach in history to eject his own player from the game and order him to the locker room in the middle of the game.

Yes, Cronin holds players accountable. That’s fine, as long as he also holds himself accountable, but that didn’t happen when, after his team was beaten by 23 points by Michigan State in a second consecutive humiliating loss, he publicly criticized Jamerson for the hard foul that led to the ejection incident and then wrongly assailed a reporter for allegedly raising his voice during postgame questioning.

Cronin has become a walking viral video. He has become a nightly uncomfortable wince. He has become an embarrassment to a university athletic department that prides itself on winning with class.

John Wooden would be ashamed.

Mick Cronin is light years from the aura of Coach, and if UCLA cared a whit about the legacy of its legend, it would care that his flame has been completely snuffed by this unworthy keeper.

Wooden’s home is now decorated with a pyramid of poop, and one wonders how many humiliations will be required to convince administrators to clean things up.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin extends his arms and complains while watching the Bruins lose to Michigan State Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich.

(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)

Cronin quietly signed a new five-year contract last summer that includes a $22,5 million buyout if he is fired this spring. That figure drops to $18 million, then $13.5 million, then $9 million, then $4.5 million in coming years. No wonder the Bruins didn’t publicize the deal at the time. It was another Martin Jarmond mistake, and now the entire university is going to pay the price.

It’s hard to see UCLA canning Cronin in the next couple of years because of those buyouts, which means this mess of a program is going to be increasingly hard to watch.

What happened Tuesday should scare away any of the remaining top prospects who would want to play for this berating blowhard. His usual postgame rants don’t compare to what happened on that Michigan State court, where he picked on the wrong kid in the worst possible fashion.

By all accounts, Jamerson is a dream player, one filled with resilience and gratitude. The former Crespi High star initially wanted to play for Michigan State, but he couldn’t make the team, even as a walk-on, so he tried to become a student manager, and failed at that, too. After spending a year there as a student, he transferred to University of San Diego, where he spent three seasons strengthening his game before eventually transferring to UCLA. This season he has spent most of his time on the bench, playing about 11 minutes per game for the Bruins while supplying rebounding and defense and energy.

It was this fire that led him to give chase to Michigan State’s Carson Cooper in the final five minutes of a game that UCLA currently trailed by 27. Cooper went up for a fast break dunk and Jamerson knocked him to the floor. It was ruled a Flagrant 1 excessive foul, but not a dangerous Flagrant 2 foul, so Jamerson was not ejected from the game.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Moments later Cronin was grabbing the kid’s shirt and leading him to the baseline, where he ordered an assistant coach to remove him from the court area and banish him to the locker room.

Jamerson’s dreams of a solid return to a school that snubbed him were shattered. His night ended amid a storm of laughing students and obscene gestures.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin shouts toward the bench while sending Steven Jamerson II to the locker room after the player was called for a foul Tuesday at Michigan State.

(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)

It was just awful, and so avoidable. Why couldn’t Cronin have just sent Jamerson to the end of the bench? Considering it wasn’t a Flagrant 2, why did he even have to take him out of the game? Why did he have to make an example of a player who was understandably overeager on what could have been one of the triumphant nights of his life?

“Steve’s a good kid. He made a bad decision. But if you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game, for a blockout, for a rebound,” said Cronin afterward.

“So, I was thoroughly disappointed; the guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game’s a 25-point game. You don’t do that.”

That point could have been made without humiliation. But Cronin wasn’t done, later admonishing a reporter for what he considered a dumb question, then scolding the reporter for allegedly raising his voice at him.

The question was about the student section’s harassment of former Spartan Xavier Booker, which seemed like a legitimate query considering Booker had a terrible game. But what was really baffling was Cronin’s claim that the questioner was raising his voice.

Listen to the video. No voices were raised. It was just Cronin once again being a bully. You want a raised voice? Here, I’ll raise my voice in words that Cronin will hopefully understand.

CHILL OUT! SHOW RESPECT! HONOR WOODEN!

If the coach doesn’t grow up and the program doesn’t rapidly improve — for a third straight year they’re barely a tournament team — there needs to be another ejection.

It would be the most expensive firing in UCLA history. It would be worth every penny.

Lorenzo Hernandez, who was the football coach at Garfield for 24 years until stepping down after the 2024 season, is coming out of retirement to become head coach at Whittier High. He met with his new players Wednesday afternoon.

Hernandez helped elevate the Garfield program beyond the annual Garfield vs. Roosevelt rivalry game, with the Bulldogs becoming one of the best in the City Section year after year. He has been the school’s athletic director.

He rejoins former Garfield principal Andres Favela, who’s the principal at Whittier.

Whittier will be switching leagues in the fall, moving from the Del Rio League, in which the team has won one league game in the last three years.

Hernandez said he received approval from his family to return to coaching and sees Whittier similar to Garfield in receiving strong neighborhood support.