Sports briefs
Source: Browns to hire Haley as OC
A person familiar with the negotiations says the Cleveland Browns are hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Cleveland coach Hue Jackson is turning his offense over to Haley, who spent six seasons in Pittsburgh before he was fired last week, said the person who spoke Monday night to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move.
A former head coach with Kansas City, Haley worked with one of the NFL’s most high-powered offenses in Pittsburgh. He’ll inherit one with far less talent, but Cleveland is expected to upgrade its offense in free agency and the draft.
The 50-year-old Haley will assume play-calling duties from Jackson, who is 1-31 with Cleveland.
Haley was criticized following Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to Jacksonville for failing to have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sneak on two fourth-down plays. The Steelers failed to convert and were beaten 45-42.
Penguins send Sprong to minors
The Pittsburgh Penguins re-assigned forward Daniel Sprong to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
Sprong, 20, scored twice and had three points in eight NHL games. He is the WBS Penguins’ leading goal scorer with 18 in 29 AHL contests. His 18 goals are tied for second-most among AHL rookies.
Bucks fire Kidd
The Milwaukee Bucks fired coach Jason Kidd Monday amid a midseason slide that has left the playoff hopeful in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
It was a surprising end to Kidd’s three-plus season tenure in Milwaukee, when the Bucks made the playoffs twice. Giannis Antetokounmpo turned into an All-Star under his watch, and the Bucks were considered an emerging force in the East at the start of the season.
But the Bucks had lost four of five to fall to 23-22 going into Monday night’s home game against Phoenix, and had been prone to defensive lapses especially on the perimeter. Assistant coach Joe Prunty was serving as head coach.
General manager Jon Horst, who was promoted from director of basketball operations in June, said it was time for a change and the move was made with “unanimous support of ownership.”
Under Kidd, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152.
In the NHL
Petr Mrazek had 37 saves in posting his second straight shutout and third of the season as the Detroit Red Wings beat the slumping New Jersey Devils 3-0 Monday night.
Tyler Bertuzzi, David Booth and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the second time in six games.
In college basketball
Justin Robinson scored 19 points and Virginia Tech pulled away in the second half to beat No. 10 North Carolina 80-69 Monday night.
Ahmed Hill added 18 points for Virginia Tech (14-6, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). Hill scored seven in a row to start the decisive 13-3 burst, which turned a 51-48 lead into a 64-51 advantage with just under eight minutes remaining. Kerry Blackshear Jr. added 16 points.
Australian Open
Tennys Sandgren had never won a Grand Slam match or beaten a top 10 player until last week.
Now he’s into the Australian Open quarterfinals on debut after adding an upset win over No. 5-seeded Dominic Thiem Monday night to his earlier victory over 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka.
The 26-year-old American, who entered the season’s opening major ranked 97th, missed a match point in the fourth set but held on for a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-3 win over Thiem.
Sandgren is only the second man in 20 years to reach the quarterfinals on his debut at Melbourne Park.
Defending champion Roger Federer had no real difficulties in reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals for the 14th time, accounting for Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Federer will renew a lengthy rivalry next against Tomas Berdych, who returned to the quarterfinals for the seventh time at Melbourne Park with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Fabio Fognini.