Schottenheimer NFL coach of year
Marty Schottenheimer's guidance of one of the great turnarounds in NFL history won him The Associated Press 2004 NFL Coach of the Year award. Schottenheimer took the San Diego Chargers from a 4-12 embarrassment to a 12-4 division champion. The 61-year-old Schottenheimer, who also worked in Cleveland, Kansas City, and Washington, has been a head coach for 18 1/2 seasons. "There is a great sense of satisfaction when you're able to get things going in the right direction," said Schottenheimer. "I always pride myself on one thing -- I think I'm a teacher." . . . Jim Haslett has been told by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson that he will return for a sixth season as coach. Haslett has a five-year record of 42-38. The Saints, who have missed the playoffs four straight years, started this season 4-8 but won their final four games to finish 8-8 . . . The Cleveland Cavaliers activated center-forward Scott Williams and put center DeSagana Diop on the injured list with a bruised left elbow . . . Three-time boxing champion Hector Camacho, who had been jailed in Gulfport, Miss., on a burglary charge, was released Friday after a friend paid part of his bond. Biloxi police also charged Camacho, 42, with drug possession after officers said they found him with 10 ecstasy pills in a hotel room when they arrested him Thursday.
US awarded gold in show jumping
Germany's Olympic team show jumping gold medal will go to the United States after the International Equestrian Federation announced it had disqualified rider Ludger Beerbaum and horse Goldfever for a doping offense. Sweden will be awarded the silver, and Germany will drop to the bronze because the sport's governing body erased Goldfever's results from the Athens event. Beerbaum, who has denied cheating, said the banned steroid betamethasone was in an ointment used to treat a skin irritation on the horse . . . Johann Grugger won a World Cup skking downhill for the second time this season, winning in 1 minute 56.93 seconds at Chamonix, France, as Austria captured three of the top four spots . . . Slovenia's Tina Maze won a World Cup giant slalom in 2:36.78 in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, for her second victory this season. Julia Mancuso of the US was fourth, the best result of her career . . . Former World Cup champion skier Luc Alphand won the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, covering the 224 miles from Tidjikja to Atar, Mauritania, in 4:52.39 for his first stage win. NASCAR driver Robby Gordon was third . . . Roger Federer began 2005 the way he finished 2004: with a victory. In Doha, Federer beat sixth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3, 6-1, the Qatar Open tennis final for his 21st straight match win.
