A report from Jovan Buha and Shams Charania at The Athletic names former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and former Brooklyn Nets head man Kenny Atkinson on the shortlist.
Budenholzer led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021 but was fired two seasons later after failing to reach those heights again. In five seasons with Milwaukee, Budenholzer went 271-120 (.693) and led the Bucks to five consecutive Central Division titles. He had mixed playoff success though, as they only reached the conference finals twice, and bowed out before that point three times. He was dismissed following a first round exit in 2023.
Before his time in Milwaukee, Budenholzer was head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons, posting a record of 213-197 (.520). He took them to the playoffs in four of his five seasons.
Budenholzer has won a championship and has taken his teams to the postseason in nine of his 10 seasons as a head coach. He has twice been named NBA Coach of the Year (2015 and 2019) and won four championships as an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs. The 54-year-old has a proven track record of success, but his postseason decision-making has long been an issue.
Atkinson has been an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for the past three seasons, after spending the 2020-21 campaign as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers. His only head coaching experience came with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020 and he didn't put up great results while working with a depleted roster.
The Nets went 118-190 (.383) in three-plus seasons under Atkinson. They made the postseason in 2019 with a 42-40 record but were bounced from the opening round of the playoffs in five games by the Philadelphia 76ers. He stepped down as head coaching late in the 2019-20 season. Atkinson actually accepted a deal to become head coach of the Charlotte Hornets in 2022 after helping the Warriors to an NBA title. He ultimately backed out and returned to the Warriors.
A lot of eyes will be on the Lakers' coaching search. The end of LeBron James' career is rapidly approaching. If the franchise wants to get him a final shot at a championship, it will have to nail this hire.
The 2024 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror, so we now have a very clear picture of how NFL rosters will look heading into the summer months. We're almost fully aware of player personnel, training camp battles and coaching moves, so it's time for the next step ... projecting fantasy player values!
Player rankings are a labor of love for me, and I'll be updating these throughout the remainder of the offseason, into training camps and the preseason contests leading up to the 2024 NFL campaign. What I feel right now about a player (ex. I LOVE Jayden Daniels) might change as I hear reports and see what the versatile rookie quarterback does on the NFL gridiron leading up to the new season.
The same goes for potential depth chart battles, like the one that's inevitably going to occur in the Carolina Panthers backfield. Rookie Jonathon Brooks is the easy answer to lead this team in touches, but Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders won't lay down and die. There will be competition, and Brooks is coming off a torn ACL in his final season at Texas. Things change, so keep checking back!
Without further ado, here are the rankings for each position.
2024 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is third in the QB fantasy rankings.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
RK. Player - Pos - Team - FA
1. Jalen Hurts - QB - PHI - 2029
2. Josh Allen - QB - BUF - 2029
3. Patrick Mahomes - QB - KC - 2032
4. Lamar Jackson - QB - BAL - 2028
5. C.J. Stroud - QB - HOU - 2027
6. Joe Burrow - QB - CIN - 2030
7. Anthony Richardson - QB - IND - 2027
8. Dak Prescott - QB - DAL - 2025
9. Jordan Love - QB - GB - 2025
10. Kyler Murray - QB - ARI - 2029
11. Brock Purdy - QB - SF - 2026
12. Kirk Cousins - QB - ATL - 2028
13. Jared Goff - QB - DET - 2025
14. Jayden Daniels - QB - WAS - N/A
15. Trevor Lawrence - QB - JAC - 2026
16. Tua Tagovailoa - QB - MIA - 2025
17. Justin Herbert - QB - LAC - 2030
18. Matthew Stafford - QB - LAR - 2027
19. Aaron Rodgers - QB - NYJ - 2026
20. Caleb Williams - QB - CHI - N/A
21. Baker Mayfield - QB - TB - 2027
22. Deshaun Watson - QB - CLE - 2027
23. Derek Carr - QB - NO - 2027
24. Russell Wilson - QB - PIT - 2029
25. Will Levis - QB - TEN - 2027
26. Bryce Young - QB - CAR - 2027
27. Drake Maye - QB - NE - N/A
28. Geno Smith - QB - SEA - 2026
29. Daniel Jones - QB - NYG - 2027
30. J.J. McCarthy - QB - MIN - N/A
31. Justin Fields - QB - PIT - 2025
32. Bo Nix - QB - DEN - N/A
33. Gardner Minshew - QB - LV - 2024
34. Jarrett Stidham - QB - DEN - 2025
35. Aidan O'Connell - QB - LV - 2027
36. Sam Howell - QB - SEA - 2026
37. Jake Browning - QB - CIN - 2025
38. Michael Penix Jr. - QB - ATL - N/A
39. Kenny Pickett - QB - PHI - 2026
40. Mac Jones - QB - JAC - 2025
2024 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey leads the fantasy RB rankings.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
RK. Player - Pos - Team - FA
1. Christian McCaffrey - RB - SF - 2026
2. Bijan Robinson - RB - ATL - 2028
3. Breece Hall - RB - NYJ - 2026
4. Saquon Barkley - RB - PHI - 2027
5. Jahmyr Gibbs - RB - DET - 2028
6. Jonathan Taylor - RB - IND - 2027
7. Travis Etienne - RB - JAC - 2026
8. Kyren Williams - RB - LAR - 2026
9. Josh Jacobs - RB - GB - 2028
10. Derrick Henry - RB - BAL - 2026
11. Isiah Pacheco - RB - KC - 2026
12. Rachaad White - RB - TB - 2026
13. De'Vone Achane - RB - MIA - 2027
14. James Cook - RB - BUF - 2026
15. Alvin Kamara - RB - NO - 2026
16. Ken Walker - RB - SEA - 2026
17. Joe Mixon - RB - HOU - 2027
18. D'Andre Swift - RB - CHI - 2027
19. David Montgomery - RB - DET - 2026
20. Rhamondre Stevenson - RB - NE - 2025
21. Nick Chubb - RB - CLE - 2025
22. Jonathon Brooks - RB - CAR - N/A
23. Aaron Jones - RB - MIN - 2025
24. Zamir White - RB - LV - 2026
25. James Conner - RB - ARI - 2025
26. Tony Pollard - RB - TEN - 2027
27. Raheem Mostert - RB - MIA - 2026
28. Najee Harris - RB - PIT - 2026
29. Zack Moss - RB - CIN - 2026
30. Brian Robinson Jr. - RB - WAS - 2026
31. Austin Ekeler - RB - WAS - 2026
32. Javonte Williams - RB - DEN - 2025
33. Devin Singletary - RB - NYG - 2027
34. Jaylen Warren - RB - PIT - 2025
35. Tyjae Spears - RB - TEN - 2027
36. Gus Edwards - RB - LAC - 2026
37. Ezekiel Elliott - RB - DAL - 2025
38. Zach Charbonnet - RB - SEA - 2027
39. Trey Benson - RB - ARI - N/A
40. Chase Brown - RB - CIN - 2027
41. Tyler Allgeier - RB - ATL - 2026
42. Ty Chandler - RB - MIN - 2026
43. Rico Dowdle - RB - DAL - 2025
44. Chuba Hubbard - RB - CAR - 2025
45. Blake Corum - RB - LAR - N/A
46. Antonio Gibson - RB - NE - 2027
47. J.K. Dobbins - RB - LAC - 2025
48. Alexander Mattison - RB - LV - 2025
49. Bucky Irving - RB - TB - N/A
50. Jaleel McLaughlin - RB - DEN - 2026
51. Roshon Johnson - RB - CHI - 2027
52. Jerome Ford - RB - CLE - 2026
53. Kendre Miller - RB - NO - 2027
54. MarShawn Lloyd - RB - GB - N/A
55. Elijah Mitchell - RB - SF - 2025
56. Khalil Herbert - RB - CHI - 2025
57. A.J. Dillon - RB - GB - 2025
58. Jaylen Wright - RB - MIA - N/A
59. D'Onta Foreman - RB - CLE - 2025
60. Keaton Mitchell - RB - BAL - 2026
61. Miles Sanders - RB - CAR - 2027
62. Braelon Allen - RB - NYJ - N/A
63. Audric Estime - RB - DEN - N/A
64. Dameon Pierce - RB - HOU - 2026
65. Kenneth Gainwell - RB - PHI - 2025
66. Samaje Perine - RB - DEN - 2025
67. Tank Bigsby - RB - JAC - 2027
68. Clyde Edwards-Helaire - RB - KC - 2025
69. Justice Hill - RB - BAL - 2025
70. Jamaal Williams - RB - NO - 2026
71. Israel Abanikanda - RB - NYJ - 2027
72. Isaiah Spiller - RB - LAC - 2026
73. Chase Edmonds - RB - TB - 2025
74. Kareem Hunt - RB - FA - N/A
75. Tyrone Tracy Jr. - RB - NYG - 2025
76. Ray Davis - RB - BUF - N/A
77. Evan Hull - RB - IND - 2027
78. Will Shipley - RB - PHI - N/A
79. D'Ernest Johnson - RB - JAC - 2025
80. Emari Demercado - RB - ARI - 2026
2024 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) should be one of the best fantasy WRs again this year.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
RK. Player - Pos - Team - FA
1. CeeDee Lamb - WR - DAL - 2025
2. Tyreek Hill - WR - MIA - 2027
3. Justin Jefferson - WR - MIN - 2025
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown - WR - DET - 2029
5. Ja'Marr Chase - WR - CIN - 2026
6. A.J. Brown - WR - PHI - 2027
7. Puka Nacua - WR - LAR - 2027
8. Garrett Wilson - WR - NYJ - 2027
9. Davante Adams - WR - LV - 2027
10. Michael Pittman Jr. - WR - IND - 2027
11. Mike Evans - WR - TB - 2026
12. Chris Olave - WR - NO - 2027
13. Brandon Aiyuk - WR - SF - 2025
14. Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR - ARI - N/A
15. Drake London - WR - ATL - 2027
16. Nico Collins - WR - HOU - 2025
17. DK Metcalf - WR - SEA - 2026
18. Jaylen Waddle - WR - MIA - 2026
19. Deebo Samuel Sr. - WR - SF - 2026
20. Rashee Rice - WR - KC - 2027
21. D.J. Moore - WR - CHI - 2026
22. Stefon Diggs - WR - HOU - 2025
23. Cooper Kupp - WR - LAR - 2027
24. Devonta Smith - WR - PHI - 2029
25. Amari Cooper - WR - CLE - 2025
26. Malik Nabers - WR - NYG - N/A
27. Tee Higgins - WR - CIN - 2024
28. Calvin Ridley - WR - TEN - 2028
29. Christian Kirk - WR - JAC - 2026
30. Zay Flowers - WR - BAL - 2028
31. George Pickens - WR - PIT - 2026
32. Tank Dell - WR - HOU - 2027
33. Keenan Allen - WR - CHI - 2025
34. Jayden Reed - WR - GB - 2027
35. Terry McLaurin - WR - WAS - 2026
36. Courtland Sutton - WR - DEN - 2026
37. Ladd McConkey - WR - LAC - N/A
38. Diontae Johnson - WR - CAR - 2025
39. Keon Coleman - WR - BUF - N/A
40. Jordan Addison - WR - MIN - 2027
41. DeAndre Hopkins - WR - TEN - 2025
42. Chris Godwin - WR - TB - 2025
43. Rome Odunze - WR - CHI - N/A
44. Jaxon Smith-Njigba - WR - SEA - 2028
45. Marquise Brown - WR - KC - 2025
46. Christian Watson - WR - GB - 2026
47. Tyler Lockett - WR - SEA - 2026
48. Xavier Worthy - WR - KC - N/A
49. Brian Thomas Jr. - WR - JAC - N/A
50. Mike Williams - WR - NYJ - 2025
51. Jakobi Meyers - WR - LV - 2026
52. Curtis Samuel - WR - BUF - 2027
53. Gabe Davis - WR - JAC - 2027
54. Xavier Legette - WR - CAR - N/A
55. Quentin Johnston - WR - LAC - 2028
56. Jameson Williams - WR - DET - 2027
57. Romeo Doubs - WR - GB - 2026
58. Jerry Jeudy - WR - CLE - 2028
59. Josh Downs - WR - IND - 2027
60. Brandin Cooks - WR - DAL - 2025
61. DeMario Douglas - WR - NE - 2027
62. Adonai Mitchell - WR - IND - N/A
63. Ja'Lynn Polk - WR - NE - N/A
64. Marvin Mims - WR - DEN - 2027
65. Adam Thielen - WR - CAR - 2026
66. Dontayvion Wicks - WR - GB - 2027
67. Michael Wilson - WR - ARI - 2027
68. Ricky Pearsall - WR - SF - N/A
69. Rashid Shaheed - WR - NO - 2024
70. Josh Palmer - WR - LAC - 2025
71. Jahan Dotson - WR - WAS - 2027
72. Wan'Dale Robinson - WR - NYG - 2026
73. Kendrick Bourne - WR - NE - 2027
74. Jalin Hyatt - WR - NYG - 2027
75. Tyler Boyd - WR - FA - N/A
76. Roman Wilson - WR - PIT - N/A
77. Malachi Corley - WR - NYJ - N/A
78. Khalil Shakir - WR - BUF - 2026
79. Elijah Moore - WR - CLE - 2025
80. Treylon Burks - WR - TEN - 2027
2024 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta leads the fantasy TE rankings.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
RK. Player - Pos - Team - FA
1. Sam LaPorta - TE - DET - 2027
2. Travis Kelce - TE - KC - 2026
3. Mark Andrews - TE - BAL - 2026
4. Trey McBride - TE - ARI - 2026
5. George Kittle - TE - SF - 2026
6. Evan Engram - TE - JAC - 2026
7. Dalton Kincaid - TE - BUF - 2027
8. Kyle Pitts - TE - ATL - 2025
9. David Njoku - TE - CLE - 2026
10. Brock Bowers - TE - LV - N/A
11. Jake Ferguson - TE - DAL - 2026
12. T.J. Hockenson - TE - MIN - 2028
13. Dallas Goedert - TE - PHI - 2026
14. Dalton Schultz - TE - HOU - 2027
15. Pat Freiermuth - TE - PIT - 2025
16. Darren Waller - TE - NYG - 2027
17. Cole Kmet - TE - CHI - 2028
18. Hunter Henry - TE - NE - 2027
19. Cade Otton - TE - TB - 2026
20. Zach Ertz - TE - WAS - 2025
21. Chigoziem Okonkwo - TE - TEN - 2026
22. Luke Musgrave - TE - GB - 2027
23. Juwan Johnson - TE - NO - 2025
24. Tyler Conklin - TE - NYJ - 2025
25. Jonnu Smith - TE - MIA - 2026
26. Tucker Kraft - TE - GB - 2027
27. Tyler Higbee - TE - LAR - 2026
28. Taysom Hill - TE - NO - 2026
29. Mike Gesicki - TE - CIN - 2025
30. Noah Fant - TE - SEA - 2026
32. Ja'Tavion Sanders - TE - CAR - N/A
31. Isaiah Likely - TE - BAL - 2026
2024 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is No. 1 in the fantasy rankings.
Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
RK. Player - Pos - Team - FA
1. Justin Tucker - K - BAL - 2028
2. Brandon Aubrey - K - DAL - 2026
3. Harrison Butker - K - KC - 2025
4. Jake Elliott - K - PHI - 2026
5. Jake Moody - K - SF - 2027
6. Ka'imi Fairbairn - K - HOU - 2027
7. Jason Sanders - K - MIA - 2027
8. Younghoe Koo - K - ATL - 2027
9. Tyler Bass - K - BUF - 2028
10. Dustin Hopkins - K - CLE - 2025
11. Matt Gay - K - IND - 2027
12. Evan McPherson - K - CIN - 2025
13. Cairo Santos - K - CHI - 2028
14. Cameron Dicker - K - LAC - 2025
15. Jason Myers - K - SEA - 2027
16. Greg Zuerlein - K - NYJ - 2026
17. Michael Badgley - K - DET - 2025
18. Greg Joseph - K - GB - 2025
19. Blake Grupe - K - NO - 2026
20. Joshua Karty - K - LAR - N/A
21. Chase McLaughlin - K - TB - 2027
22. Cam Little - K - JAC - N/A
23. Wil Lutz - K - DEN - 2026
24. Daniel Carlson - K - LV - 2026
25. Brandon McManus - K - WAS - 2025
26. Matt Prater - K - ARI - 2025
27. Nick Folk - K - TEN - 2025
28. Chris Boswell - K - PIT - 2027
29. Will Reichard - K - MIN - N/A
30. Eddy Piniero - K - CAR - 2025
31. Graham Gano - K - NYG - 2027
32. Chad Ryland - K - NE - 2027
2024 Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings
All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (92) leads the Ravens' top-ranked fantasy D.
Caitlin Clark-mania will take over Indiana a day sooner than fans of the WNBA rookie expected.
The Indiana Fever's first home preseason game of the 2024 season—Clark's debut in front of Indiana fans in the WNBA—originally scheduled for Friday, May 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, has been moved up to Thursday due to a conflict with the Indiana Pacers, who will be hosting Game 3 of the Eastern conference semifinals against the New York Knicks that night.
"Due to the Pacers home playoff schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Fever preseason game originally scheduled for Friday, May 10, has been moved to Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tickets for Friday's game will be valid for Thursday's rescheduled date. The game will also be shown on the WNBA app," the team said in a statement posted onto its account on X, formerly Twitter.
The Pacers' win over the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as the Knicks' victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, led to the scheduling conflict at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the shared home of the Pacers and the Fever.
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is slated to make her professional basketball debut on Friday night against the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET. The West Des Moines, Ia. native's regular season debut is scheduled for May 14 against the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Ham led the Lakers through troubled waters to start the year to qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament only to ultimately lose to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason.
Earlier in the year, the Lakers won the inaugural In-Season Tournament, but the Lakers went 3–10 in the games following that victory.
The Lakers under Ham made it to the Western Conference finals in his debut season with the team in 2022-23.
Ham, for his part, will get his paychecks from the Lakers for the foreseeable future even if his team facilities badge is denied access.
The now-former Lakers head coach's contract was on the smaller side of NBA coaches. Steve Kerr gets $17.5 million annually, Gregg Popovich earns a $16 million salary, and Erik Spoelstra is paid $15 million. It's unclear if the relative bargain Los Angeles had Ham played into their decision to move on and hire a new leader.
Ham is now free to pursue other opportunities in the coaching ranks, whether that be at the head coaching or assistant ranks, a capacity in which he worked for several seasons before being hired by the Lakers.
The end of the 2024 NFL draft starts for many the continued building of our fantasy football dynasty rosters. If you're not in the know, dynasty leagues don't have a yearly "re-draft," but instead managers keep their same rosters year over year and hold rookie-only drafts. That makes choosing the right rooks very important when it comes to roster construction and depth chart improvement.
With that said, here's my initial look at the top 50 rookies to target in dynasty leagues. These rankings are based on a full-point PPR scoring system and focus on leagues that aren't in the superflex mold.
Of course, roster needs are very important in dynasty formats. For example, maybe you're stacked at wideout and a bit less so at tight end, so you might go with Brock Bowers ahead of someone like Rome Odunze, even if the latter is ranked higher. Obviously, the choice is yours. But these rankings will give you a good baseline from which to draw your own conclusions and draft choices.
So, in the words of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, with the first pick in YOUR 2024 fantasy football dynasty league draft, the top overall teams selects ...
Arsenal hosts Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium with the Gunners looking to keep the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal vs. Bournemouth was one of the best games of last season. The Cherries jumped out to an early two-goal lead, but Arsenal showed determination and grit to pull off a sensational comeback thanks to a 97th minute winner from Reiss Nelson. Fans though that was the win to catapult the Gunners to a title last year, but now they hope the win just puts added pressure on Manchester City.
Arsenal currently lead Manchester City by one point atop the table, but City has a game in hand. If Manchester City wins its remaining matches, Pep Guardiola will capture an unprecedented, fourth-straight Premier League title.
Bournemouth on the other hand are riding high with manager Andoni Iraola. The Spanish manager has helped Bournemouth achieve its highest Premier League points tally ever. Finishing in the top half of the table would give the club a major platform to build on for next season.
Where to watch Arsenal vs Bournemouth
United States (USA, Universo, Fubo, Sling TV, NBC Sports)
Arsenal team news
Arsenal is expected to welcome Jurrien Timber back to the first team squad. Though, expect the Netherlands defender to be on the bench. After suffering an ACL injury in the beginning of the season, Timber played 60 minutes against Liverpool in an under-21s match.
Bournemouth team news
Bournemouth will have Antoine Semenyo and Illia Zabarnyi fit and ready for the match, though Luis Sinisterra and Marcus Tavernier are battling hamstring issues. Milos Kerkez is suspended after receiving a straight red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Notably for USMNT fans, Tyler Adams is still out with a back injury.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction
Arsenal has shown an improved mentality this season after the heartbreak of last. If there was to be a slip up, many expected it to come in the two London derbies against Chelsea and Tottenham. Since the loss to Aston Villa, Arsenal has scored 10 goals and conceded just two. The Gunners need help along the way if they are to win the Premier League this season, but they also need to take care of business in their final three games.
Bournemouth has never won at Emirates Stadium, though this is a different team under Iraola at this point in the season. The team has certainly improved since losing 4-0 in the reverse fixture. However, Arsenal show no signs of slowing down and every game from here on out is vital.
Payton Pritchard and the Boston Celtics are currently awaiting the end of the Orlando Magic - Cleveland Cavaliers series to learn their opponent for the upcoming Eastern Conference semifinal series.
While everyone waits for the unofficial NBA TV series to wrap up on national television sometime this weekend, the local press gets to ask whatever questions they don't have time for when there are actual games to talk about, which is probably why someone finally asked Pritchard about his sneakers.
Prtichard wears Sabrina Ionescu's signature Nike shoes. Pritchard and Ionescu both went to Oregon as freshmen in 2016 and played all four years in Eugene before turning pro.
Ionescu was selected with the first pick of the 2020 WNBA draft, while Pritchard was taken 26th by the Celtics. While Pritchard doesn't have his own signature shoe, at least he found a comfortable one with his friend's name on it.
Payton Pritchard on why he wears Sabrina Ionescu’s shoes:
“Me and Sabrina are in the same class, and we went to Oregon together as freshmen. Her shoes are probably the most comfortable out right now. It’s light. I like it.” pic.twitter.com/rbROb4F1MU
Pritchard is not the only NBA player rocking the Sabrina's. During All-Star Weekend, Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II revealed that he had an exciting exchange with Ionescu about her shoes. She thanked him for wearing them while he thanked her for making them so comfortable.
"Thank you for wearing my shoes." "Thank you for making them that comfortable."
That's some solid word-of-mouth. Not only does Ionescu have the skill and profile to be featured during NBA All-Star Saturday, but she also has got the footwear to back it up.
And if she has it her way, more WNBA players will get signature shoes. If they're half as comfortable as hers apparently are, that's a good thing for all basketball players.
The Jacksonville Gamecocks have agreed to a contract extension with head coach Rich Rodriguez that will go through the 2030 season.
Rodriguez was hired in 2021 and after a strong 9-2 record in 2022, their final one at the FCS level, the Gamecocks went to the FBS level in Conference USA and ended up going 9-4 including a win in the New Orleans Bowl.
"We couldn't be more excited that Coach Rodriguez is committed to Jacksonville State and continuing to lead our football program into this new era," Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "The growth of our program since the day he took over has been incredible, with a conference title in year one, the first bowl win by a transition team in history in year two."
Entering 2024, Jax State brought in the replacement for quarterback Zion Webb in former UConn starter Zion Turner. The quick similar style of offense that was run last year should be in place again this season, especially with Turner’s own skill set.
Along with Rodriguez's success on the field, he has been a vital piece in improvements around the facilities and ensuring his players have the best equipment and work environment.
Although the Gamecocks still have one transition year left, Jax State still cannot play a postseason game without a waiver. If enough teams do not make a bowl game in 2024, there’s a likely chance that Rich Rodriguez's team can reach the six-win marker to make it into a second consecutive bowl game. The Gamecocks will also be one of the top teams in Conference USA. Against the conference last season, Jax State went 6-2.
The Los Angeles Lakers have dismissed coach Darvin Ham after two seasons, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Lakers brass made the decision to fire Ham after Los Angeles lost its playoff series to the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive postseason. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka informed Ham of the franchise's decision to fire him on Friday afternoon via phone call, according to Wojnarowski.
A report that circulated on Thursday indicated that ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick, as well as Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue would both be in consideration for the job. Both individuals have interesting ties to Lakers star LeBron James. Redick just started a podcast with James called Mind the Game, which is dedicated to the strategy of professional basketball, while Lue coached the Cleveland Cavaliers when James and the franchise won an NBA title in the 2015-16 season.
Ham went 90-74 in his two seasons leading the Lakers, which included a Western Conference finals berth last season, as well as an NBA Cup in the inaugural in-season tournament this season.
In regard to Beverley chucking the basketball into the stands at Pacers fans, we are now learning more about the lead up to the incident. A Pacers fan shouted, "Cancun...Cancun on three!" as the Bucks players were breaking a huddle, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: The exchange between Patrick Beverley and one of the fans in Indianapolis escalated when the Bucks were breaking huddle Thursday night, and the fan yelled, “Cancún...Cancún on 3.”
NBA is looking into Beverley’s exchange with fans in game and media postgame, per source.
The phrase from the fan, insinuating that Bucks players would be going on vacation with their season ending short of a championship, is apparently the straw that broke the camel's back for Beverley, who lost his cool on Milwaukee's bench.
It seems silly that a phrase as innocuous as the one the Pacers fan yelled toward the Milwaukee bench was the one that got Beverley riled up, but alas the end result was the Bucks guard tossing the ball into the stands twice out of malice.
Beverley will certainly be hearing from the league office soon.
