Return man: McCoy will stay at Texas

December 9, 2008

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy confirmed that he'll return to the Longhorns for his senior season in 2009. McCoy has led No. 3 Texas (11-1) to a Fiesta Bowl matchup against Ohio State with 3,445 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, both team records. He's also the team's leading rusher with 576 yards and is expected to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this week. "I'm not going anywhere," McCoy said in an interview on the Austin American-Statesman's website. McCoy said he wants to try to win a national championship next season after falling one spot short of the Bowl Championship Series title game this season . . . Bentley promoted Thom Boerman to head football coach, removing his interim status. Boerman served as an assistant under the recently retired Peter Yetten for 23 seasons and has served as the program's director of football operations since 1988 . . . Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was hired as New Mexico's coach, becoming the fourth black coach at a Bowl Subdivision school. (Buffalo's Turner Gill, Miami's Randy Shannon, and Houston's Kevin Sumlin are the others) . . . Brandon Davis, a Central Florida football player who collapsed during training last week, is improving and could be released from the hospital as early as Tuesday, his father said . . . Mike Groh, son of the football coach, was among three Virginia assistants who resigned in a shakeup brought on by Al Groh's annual review . . . Tommy Tuberville's mother told an Alabama newspaper her son was fired as Auburn's football coach, a claim that runs counter to public statements by the university that Tuberville left on his own.

Boston University's 3-point weekend helped the Terriers move up three spots in the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Division 1 men's hockey poll. BU (10-4-1), which tied Boston College Friday at Agganis Arena then beat the Eagles Saturday at Conte Forum, sits fourth in the poll, behind Notre Dame (which remained No. 1), Minnesota, and Miami. BC (9-5-2) fell five spots to No. 7. Northeastern (11-3-2), which wrapped up the 2008 portion of its schedule with a 3-2 overtime win over Maine Friday, moved up one spot to No. 5 . . . Eastern Michigan men's basketball coach Charles Ramsey was suspended three days for what the school called a "postgame altercation" with a fan last month . . . Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford dismissed starting forward Ibrahima Thomas from the team after Ford determined the sophomore lacked the commitment to make the program successful . . . Connecticut (6-0) received all 45 first-place votes in the Associated Press Division 1 women's basketball poll for the second straight week. North Carolina stayed at No. 2. UConn (8-0) remained No. 2 in the men's poll. North Carolina stayed at No. 1 . . . Jan Kemp, the University of Georgia professor who was fired in 1982 after publicly criticizing the university for allowing athletes who failed remedial classes to continue playing sports and stay in school, then was reinstated, died at 59 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Paul Azinger will not return as United States captain in the Ryder Cup after leading the Americans to their only victory this decade. The PGA of America will announce the new captain (expected to be Corey Pavin) Thursday . . . Marshfield's Geoff Sisk and Brookline's James Driscoll were unable to earn their cards for next season as PGA Tour qualifying came to an end in La Quinta, Calif. Harrison Frazar finished a memorable week that included a 59 by closing with a 5-under 67 to finish at 32-under 400 and lead 28 players who earned their cards for next season. Sisk (69-418) moved up 10 spots to a tie for 40th. Driscoll (72 -427) tied for 125th. Hartford's Jay Williamson (70 -413) tied for 18th and earned a card.

Forward Carlos Boozer is hoping to return to the Utah Jazz lineup this week after missing the last 10 games with a strained tendon in his left thigh . . . Sancho Lyttle was the first player chosen in the WNBA's dispersal draft of Houston Comets players, going to the last-place Atlanta Dream.

US Open tennis champion Serena Williams, recovering from a hamstring injury, withdrew from the Hopman Cup, which starts Jan. 3. Williams, injured at last month's WTA Championships, intends to play at the Australian Open starting Jan. 19. James Blake instead will be joined by Meghann Shaughnessy on the US team for the Hopman Cup . . . BMW Oracle will not sign proposals for the next America's Cup and will rely on a legal appeal against defending champion Alinghi's plans. The decision by Golden Gate Yacht Club, which backs BMW Oracle, means the dispute surrounding sailing's most high-profile event will continue in court . . . D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno underwent hernia surgery in Munich and is expected to recover in time for preseason. United re-signed midfielder Clyde Simms . . . Canadian Cindy Klassen, who won five speedskating medals at the 2006 Olympics, will sit out the season to allow her knees to heal from surgery . . . US-based cycling teams Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia hired anti-doping expert Don Catlin to oversee their testing programs and will have their riders undergo about 600 blood and urine tests next year.