UCLA's Howland gets extension

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jul 1, 2008 | by wire services

Basketball coach Ben Howland, who has led UCLA to the Final Four three straight years, agreed to a new seven-year contract through the 2014-15 season.

He is guaranteed $1.97 million next season, with compensation escalating to $2.3 million for the last season covered by the accord.

"There is no place I would rather be coaching than UCLA," said Howland, 51, who earned $1.2 million last season.

NHL

Detroit signed former Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart to a four- year, $15 million contract. The Stanley Cup champion Red Wings obtained Stuart from Los Angeles at the trade deadline last season.

-- Anaheim re-signed free-agent forward Corey Perry to a five- year, $26.6 million deal.

-- Phoenix signed former Colorado defenseman Kurt Sauer to a four- year contract and Todd Fedoruk, who played for Dallas and Minnesota last season, to a three-year deal.

-- Los Angeles acquired defenseman Denis Gauthier and a 2010 second-round draft pick from Philadelphia for defenseman Patrik Hersley and forward Ned Lukacevic.

-- Goalie Jose Theodore left Colorado and agreed to a two-year, $9 million contract with Washington. The Capitals also re-signed defenseman Mike Green to a four-year, $$21 million deal.

-- Colorado agreed to a two-year deal with former Toronto right wing Darcy Tucker.

-- Goalie Cristobal Huet, who finished last season in Washington, signed a four-year, $22.5 million deal with Chicago,

-- Goalie Olaf Kolzig, who lost his starting role in Washington to Huet last season, signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay. The Lightning also signed free-agent wingers Radim Vrbata ($9 million) and Adam Hall to three-year contracts

-- The New York Rangers re-signed defenseman Michal Rozsival (four years, $20 million) and signed former Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden (six years, $39 million).

-- Former Colorado left wing Andrew Brunette, who played in Minnesota from 2001-04, agreed to a three-year, $7 million deal to rejoin the Wild.

-- Left wing Cory Stillman left Ottawa for Florida, signing a three-year, $10.6 million deal.

-- The New York Islanders signed former Montreal defenseman Mark Streit to a five-year, $20.5 contract.

-- St. Louis retained David Backes by matching the three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet the forward signed with Vancouver.

-- Montreal re-signed restricted free agent forward Andrei Kostitsyn to a three-year, $9.75 million deal.

-- New Jersey re-signed Jay Pandolfo ($7.5 million) and Bryce Salvador ($8.7 million) to three-year deals.

-- Columbus signed defenseman Mike Commodore, who played for Carolina and Ottawa last season, to a five-year, $18.75 million deal.

NFL

The 49ers waived guard John Booker, a rookie free agent signed out of San Jose State on May 1.

-- New England released defensive back Willie Andrews, a day after he was arrested for allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend's head. Andrews, 24, was being held without bail in Bristol County (Mass.) pending a hearing today following his second arrest this year. The other arrest was on marijuana charges.

-- A judge in Cincinnati declared a mistrial in the assault case of former Bengals receiver Chris Henry. An eight-person jury told Judge Richard Bern that they were unable to agree on a verdict. Bern then set a hearing for July 8. Gregory Meyer accused Henry of punching him in the face in March. The Bengals released Henry on April 3 after his fifth arrest since 2005, and last month he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

-- Chicago signed rookie defensive tackle Marcus Harrison (Arkansas) and wide receiver Earl Bennett (Vanderbilt) to four-year deals. Both were third-round draft choices.

-- Offensive lineman Demetrius Bell, a seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern State and the estranged son of former NBA star Karl Malone, signed with Buffalo.

College football

John Pont, who coached at Indiana, Northwestern, Yale and Miami of Ohio, died of cancer at his home in Oxford, Ohio. He was 80.

Arena Football League

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White resigned as Utah's coach, a day after the Blaze lost to Colorado in the playoffs.

Motor sports

NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi shut down Dario Franchitti's race team because of a lack of sponsorship, putting the former IndyCar Series champion's future in doubt. Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and series champion, has struggled in his first NASCAR season driving Ganassi's No. 40 Dodge. He ranks 41st in the Sprint Cup driver standings.

-- Dale Earnhardt Inc. will use Aric Almirola full time next season in a promotion that will free Mark Martin to move to Hendrick Motorsports next season. Almirola and Martin have shared a No. 8 Chevrolet ride since the middle of last season. Martin is expected to replace Casey Mears in Hendrick's No. 5 Chevrolet.

MLS

U.S. national team member Josh Wolff is returning to Kansas City after a two-year stint in Germany, signing a four-year deal with the Wizards.

Cycling

George Hincapie, 35, is getting a fifth chance at winning Olympic gold. He was announced as a discretionary selection to the U.S. Olympic team that will race in Beijing next month.