McCallie gets 'dream job,' off to Duke

April 19, 2007

Basketball

Joanne P. McCallie was hired as Duke's women's coach yesterday, leaving Michigan State for one of the country's premier programs. McCallie, a native of Brunswick, Maine, and the former coach of the Black Bears, succeeds Gail Goestenkors, who left for Texas. McCallie, 41, will be introduced at a news conference tomorrow in Durham, N.C. "This has been a dream job of mine for many years," she said . . . Joe Frager was appointed women's coach at Fairfield, weeks after leading Southern Connecticut State to the Division 2 title . . . Orlando Magic center Darko Milicic is day to day with a sprained foot.

Detroit Pistons guard Flip Murray says gunshots were fired into his home in Troy, Mich., early Monday after two people in masks approached a female friend who was returning with him from a nightclub. Police said no one was injured. There are no suspects and the intent was not clear, police said. The 25-year-old woman told police she was approached from behind by a masked male and ordered to be quiet. The woman screamed and fled into the house, police said. Murray emerged to find someone standing on the front porch, pointing a gun toward him and ordering him to approach the door. Murray slammed the door shut. Murray told police he then heard gunshots, and police later determined two shots were fired through the front door, with a third piercing a window. Both masked males fled.

Baseball

In a surprising decision that manager Charlie Manuel hopes will bolster his relief corps, the Philadelphia Phillies moved staff ace Brett Myers to a setup role in the bullpen and put Jon Lieber in the rotation. Myers was 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA in three starts . . . While the Los Angeles Angels could get slugger Vladimir Guerrero (wrist contusion) back tomorrow, they will be without second baseman Howie Kendrick for 4-6 weeks. Kendrick was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a broken bone in his left hand, caused when he was hit by a pitch Tuesday night . . . Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox agreed to a one-year contract extension that runs through 2008 . . . The Seattle Mariners signed All-Star second baseman Jose Lopez to a four-year contract with a team option for an additional season . . . The Florida Marlins shut down former closer Jorge Julio, citing a strained right calf. Joining Julio on the 15-day disabled list is center fielder Alejandro de Aza, who has a sprained right ankle . . . The Braves suspended injured infielder Willy Aybar indefinitely for failing to report to the team for treatment . . . Yesterday's Beanpot game between Boston College and Harvard at Fraser Field in Lynn was postponed until today at 3 p.m. Northeastern and UMass play the opener at noon.

Football

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher received a record $100,000 fine from the NFL for wearing an unauthorized sponsor's hat during a pre-Super Bowl media event. Urlacher wore a cap bearing the name of Vitaminwater, which was a marketing conflict for the league since Gatorade is the NFL's official drink sponsor . . . The Miami Dolphins decided not to match the offer sheet punter Donnie Jones signed with St. Louis last week, instead choosing to accept the Rams' seventh-round pick as compensation . . . The New York Giants announced the signing of backup quarterback Anthony Wright . . . Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has teamed with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the massacre at Virginia Tech, his former school.

Soccer

Major League Soccer locked up another high-profile international player when Argentine star Guillermo Barros Schelotto signed a two-year contract with the Columbus Crew. Salary figures were not revealed . . . Another major MLS import, David Beckham, completed a full training session with Real Madrid, six weeks after spraining a right knee ligament . . . New York Red Bulls midfielder Markus Schopp had surgery to repair a hernia and is expected to need 2-4 weeks to recover.

Miscellany

College coaches have spent the last several years upgrading their gadgets and learning the new tricks of recruiting. Now it may be time to turn back the clock. The NCAA Division 1 management council has recommended a ban on all electronically transmitted correspondence, including text messages, between coaches and recruits. E-mails and faxes would be exempt from the new rule but would be limited by current NCAA guidelines. Unlike coaches' restrictions on phone calls and in-person visits, there are no limits on text messaging. The board of directors must still pass the legislation, and if approved at its April 26 meeting, the ban would take effect in August . . . Anaheim Ducks forward Brad May was suspended for three games for punching Minnesota Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson in the back of the head in Tuesday night's playoff game . . . The Hartford Wolf Pack routed the visiting Providence Bruins, 5-1, in the first game of their first-round AHL playoff series . . . Serena Williams said her groin injury has healed and she will play for the US Fed Cup team this weekend against Belgium . . . Gianni Meersman of Belgium won the third stage of the Tour de Georgia in Chattanooga, Tenn. Marblehead's Tyler Hamilton was in a group that finished nearly a half-hour behind the lead pack . . . The US will host the boxing world championships in the fall after Russia was stripped of the competition . . . The start of the Louis Vuitton Cup was delayed for the third straight day because of a lack of wind in Valencia, Spain.