Associated Press
LUBBOCK, Texas ó Texas Tech coach Mike Leach missed another deadline Tuesday to sign a new contract, and now the school’s board of regents wants to meet to discuss his job.
Leach told The Associated Press he’s happy to coach the remaining two years of his current contract, which pays $2.65 million next season and $2.35 million in 2010.
The sides have essentially agreed on the financial terms of a new five-year deal that would average $2.54 million annually, but negotiations hung up on several clauses.
The provision that bothers Leach most is one that would trigger his firing and a $1.5 million penalty if he interviews for another job without athletic director Gerald Myers’ permission. Leach’s current deal has no such restriction.
“I don’t have to have hall passes on this one,” Leach said during an interview near his office a few hours before a deadline to accept what Myers said was a “last and final offer” that would be pulled off the table.
– PITTSBURGH ó Frank Cignetti Jr., previously the offensive coordinator at California, took the same position Wednesday at Pittsburgh, where he replaces Matt Cavanaugh.
Cignetti was the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach in 2007 before taking the Cal job. He has been a coach for 20 years, serving as the offensive coordinator at North Carolina in 2006 and Fresno State from 2002-05 following two seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ quarterbacks coach.
– JACKSON, Miss. ó Mississippi football coach Houston Nutt has been honored by state lawmakers for transforming the Rebels from a losing team to Cotton Bowl champions. Nutt’s appearance at the Capitol drew a crowd in the Senate gallery, including teenagers who hung over the balcony rails to get a glimpse of him.
TENNIS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates ó Serena and Venus Williams remained on track to meet in the semifinals but Jelena Jankovic was beaten in the third round of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday.
Top-seeded Serena beat Zheng Jie of China 6-4, 6-2, while sixth-seeded Venus put away Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 6-2.
Third-seeded Jankovic, the runner-up in 2005 and a semifinalist the last two years, lost her first match with Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 7-5. It was Kanepi’s first win over a top-5 player.
BECKHAM
CARSON, Calif. ó Even though David Beckham is intent on staying with AC Milan, the Los Angeles Galaxy would welcome his return.
“We want him back,” Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein said.
BIKE FOUND
SACRAMENTO ó Lance Armstrong’s time-trial bike was found Wednesday, four days after it disappeared from the Team Astana truck after he used it before Stage 1 of the Tour of California.
Officers said a local resident brought the custom bike, worth about $10,000, to police headquarters.
It was taken after Armstrong used it during Saturday’s time trial.
BARKLEY
NEW YORK ó Charles Barkley called his drunken-driving arrest “unacceptable” as he prepared to return to his TV gig after a six-week leave of absence.
Barkley had a blood-alcohol level of .149 percent, nearly twice the legal limitin Arizona, after the 45-year-old former NBA star was arrested Dec. 31 in Scottsdale.
He will resume his studio analyst role for TNT on Thursday.
“This is just my bad, no excuses,” Barkley said in an interview with TNT colleague Ernie Johnson posted on NBA.com Wednesday.
“I think that a DUI is unacceptable,” he added. “That can’t happen and I’ve got to challenge other people, not just celebrities or jocks. You have to really think before getting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking.”