MCLEAN, Va. — The Mountain West Conference is pushing for an automatic annual entry into the Bowl Championship Series postseason lineup, USA Today reported Monday.
The newspaper said presidents and chancellors of the league’s nine schools, along with commissioner Craig Thompson, will press for a meeting with BCS coordinator John Swofford to discuss an automatic berth into the BCS.
“I would not be optimistic,” Thompson said. “As I explained to them (the Mountain West presidents), it’s a series of legal contracts among 11 conferences, four bowls, two TV partners with yet another TV partner coming in. I would not see much of a relaxation.”
The MWC went 3-2 in the postseason.
• Aaron Roderick returned to Utah a little more than a week after he left to be the receivers coach at Washington.
• The University of Miami hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive assistant Mark Whipple as its offensive coordinator.
• Chuck Bullough was promoted to UCLA’s defensive coordinator. The Bruins’ former linebackers coach succeeds DeWayne Walker.
Alabama’s Gottfried steps down
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mark Gott- fried resigned as Alabama’s basketball coach, and the school said he will immediately be replaced by assistant coach Philip Pearson.
Including three seasons at Murray State, Gottfried, 45, has a career record of 278-155 in 14 seasons. Alabama is 12-7 this season.
• Conference USA suspended Houston guard Aubrey Coleman one game for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy when he stepped on the face of Arizona’s Chase Budinger during Saturday’s game at Arizona.
• Kentucky forward Ramon Harris has been cleared to return to practice by doctors two days after fainting during halftime against Alabama.
Yao sits with knee injury
NEW YORK — Houston Rockets center Yao Ming missed his second straight game with a sore right knee but hopes to return Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
• Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, sidelined for nearly a month with a broken left ankle, returned to practice and said he hopes to play this week.
• The New York Knicks assured center Eddy Curry “to take the time that he needs” as he copes with the death of his former girlfriend and mother of his 3-year-old son.
Footnotes.
Curlin was chosen horse of the year for the second year in a row at the Eclipse Awards, while Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was the top 3-year-old male.
• Three-time reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson underwent surgery to repair a tendon and nerve after cutting his left middle finger with a kitchen knife Sunday, but the injury will not keep him from driving in the Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout.
• Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby practiced after staying off the ice for five days to rest his ailing left knee, but his status for Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers is questionable.
The Associated Press
