College Football
Ol’ Ball Coach calls it a career at South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A person close to the situation says South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier told his players he is retiring, effective immediately.
The person says the 70-year-old coach told his players Monday.
The school has not named an interim coach but likely would announce someone to finish out the season by Wednesday.
The Gamecocks are 2-4 and 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in Spurrier’s 23 seasons coaching in the league at Florida and South Carolina.
Spurrier, in the middle of his 11th season at South Carolina, did not return messages from the AP seeking comment.
USC fires Sarkisian 1 day after putting him on leave
LOS ANGELES – Southern California fired Steve Sarkisian one day after the troubled coach was put on leave.
Athletic director Pat Haden announced his decision Monday in a brief statement.
Sarkisian was put on indefinite leave Sunday after the school determined he wasn’t in condition to lead practice. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton was appointed interim coach.
The school hasn’t been specific about Sarkisian’s problems, but the second-year coach had an embarrassing public display in August at a pep rally where he appeared to be intoxicated while giving a speech.
Sarkisian went 12-6 at USC, where he was an assistant coach under Pete Carroll with the program’s dominant teams of the past decade. He spent five years as Washington’s head coach until 2013.
NFL
Fantasy stud Charles done for season with knee injury
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The star running back hurt his knee in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Chicago. An MRI on Monday confirmed the tear.
Charles was making a cut deep in Bears territory Sunday when his right knee buckled at a gruesome angle. The four-time Pro Bowl selection needed help from a trainer and linebacker Justin Houston to get off the field.
Charles tore the ACL in his other knee four years ago, missing most of the season.
Skiing
Olympic downhill champ Mayer crashes in super-G
INNSBRUCK, Austria – Olympic downhill champion Matthias Mayer of Austria could miss the season-opening World Cup event next week after bruising both legs in a training crash Monday.
The Austrian ski federation said Mayer fell during a super-G run on the Pitztaler glacier and has to rest for 5-7 days.
The federation said Mayer “will decide on short notice” whether he starts in the giant slalom in Soelden on Oct. 25.
The 25-year Austrian missed the season-opener last year after hurting his right knee and bruising his spine in a training crash.
Mayer, who won downhill gold at the Sochi Games last year, has won three World Cup speed races but has yet to reach a podium in GS.
Soccer
FIFA suspends the Thai president Makudi 90 days
ZURICH – FIFA suspended Thai soccer association president Worawi Makudi for 90 days.
The FIFA ethics committee says a breach of its code appears to have been committed and the case “is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings.”
Worawi has been under investigation for his conduct during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.
Worawi was a FIFA executive committee member for 18 years until May.
Associated Press
