DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Three-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Christian Fittipaldi will serve as Grand Marshal for the 58th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Fittipaldi will deliver the command to start the engines to kick off North America’s most prestigious sports car race and the season-opening event to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“I was quite surprised and extremely honored to be invited to take on the Grand Marshal duties at this year’s Rolex 24,” Fittipaldi said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it. I think it’s really cool to have this opportunity so quickly after I stopped racing.”

Over his nearly four decades of racing, Fittipaldi, a native of Brazil, competed in many forms of motorsports including NASCAR, open wheel and sports car. He retired from competition following the 2019 Rolex 24 with 12 IMSA victories, two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles and four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup titles.

At Daytona Int’l Speedway, Fittipaldi claimed three Rolex 24 overall victories (2004, ’14 and ’18) as well as two runner-up finishes.

“With his successes on the track and his magnetic personality off the track, Christian has attracted legions of fans during his storied career,” Daytona Int’l Speedway President Chip Wile said. “He has enjoyed many of his biggest triumphs right here at Daytona Int’l Speedway and we’re honored to have him preside as the Grand Marshal and deliver the starting command for the Rolex 24.”

BATAVIA, N.Y. – Genesee Speedway and DIRTcar Racing have entered into a partnership that will see the track’s Sportsman Modified division become DIRTcar sanctioned.

The partnership includes upgraded support from Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels and an increased PR presence across the board.

“Genesee Speedway is home to many talented Sportsman teams from the region that will benefit from the DIRTcar Sanction,” noted promoter Jim Johnson.  “We can’t thank DIRTcar enough for giving us the opportunity to come on board this season and look forward to working with all the officials.”

Top stars such as Oswego Chevy Performance 75 sportsman champion Kyle Inman, Jim Harbison, Cameron Tuttle, Dave Conant, Zach George, and others call the Genesee County Fairgrounds oval home.

All DIRTcar Sportsman Modified drivers are automatically featured in the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship. Racer’s top 16 finishes in weekly and Series racing produce points for the year-long championship. Drivers, teams, and sponsors will also enjoy increased exposure through DIRTcar’s social media channels and weekly newsletter, which reaches nearly forty-thousand people.

A DIRTcar Sportsman Western Region Series event is also close to being finalized joining Ransomville, Merrittville, Humberstone, Freedom and Brighton Speedways in hosting events for the region that boasts a $1,500 point fund to the top five. Home track and Region Bonus points are totaled. Then drivers can strive to be the overall DIRTcar Sportsman Champion by attending the year-end Fall Championship Challenge Events.

The sanction further strengthens the relationship between Genesee and DIRTcar Racing as this year Genesee Speedway welcomes the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series to Batavia, N.Y. The Outlaws will race for $10,000 on Friday, June 19, 2020. It’s going to be a huge year for Genesee.

DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. – Tim Buckwalter will contest the full Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series schedule this year, driving for Bill Gallagher Motorsports in the No. 5g.

Buckwalter joined the team in May of 2019 and found immediate success, picking up an early victory at Grandview Speedway.

The combo grabbed five top-five finishes in seven starts on the tour, including victories at Grandview and again at Big Diamond Speedway in June.

An unfortunate violent flip on lap one of the feature at Georgetown Speedway in July left the team with no cars to finish out the season, but crew chief Curt Michael is optimistic that better days are ahead this time around with Buckwalter back at the controls.

“Were all happy to continue to race with Tim. We get along well, as do all of our crew guys and families,” said Michael. “Tim did a great job when we ran, and we had some wins and good runs. We had one big crash at Georgetown and we had a fast car that night too, but those kind of things are going to happen when you run hard.”

In addition to the East Coast Sprint Car Series schedule, thanks to the team’s recent acquisition of a Rider 410 engine, Buckwalter and company will also run the Eastern Storm with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series in June, as well as make the trip out to Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway in late August for the Sprint Car Smackdown.

“We’re looking forward to running all of the Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Races, along with the Eastern Storm and a trip to Kokomo,” said Michael. “Tim has done Eastern Storm and Kokomo before, but it will be new to our team and myself, so hopefully we can have some good runs with our Rider 410.”

New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech is out for the rest of the regular season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury, the team announced Friday.

The Islanders said Pelech suffered the injury prior to Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils. Pelech did not play in the 2-1 loss, missing his first game of the season.

Pelech, 25, had posted one goal and eight assists in 38 games this season. He had been averaging 21:08 in ice time per game for the Islanders, who are currently in second in the Metropolitan Division.

The Islanders also said they had called up defenseman Sebastian Aho from AHL Bridgeport.

Ilya Kovalchuk will play for the Montreal Canadiens for the rest of the season after the 36-year-old Russian winger signed a two-way contract Friday for the league minimum, which will pay him $700,000 in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL.

Kovalchuk returned to the NHL last season after a five-year stint in the KHL. The former 50-goal scorer and three-time All Star for the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils was chased by several teams, but he ultimately signed a three-year, $18.25 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings in summer 2018.

His stint in Los Angeles -- spanning just 81 games -- was a disaster.

Kovalchuk had just 16 goals and 18 assists in 64 games last season, and he struggled to find a top role -- especially when the team made a coaching change from John Stevens to Willie Desjardins. The Kings, a bottom feeder in the Pacific Division who are now entering a rebuild, hired Todd McLellan this offseason, and Kovalchuk still didn't fare much better with just three goals and six assists in 17 games before the Kings made him a healthy scratch for nearly six weeks, efforting to trade him.

Los Angeles placed Kovalchuk on waivers in December, shortly after paying him a $2.65 million bonus. When no team claimed him, Kovalchuk became a free agent. He said he still had a desire to play in North America, and wanted to sign with a contender for the rest of the season.

The Canadiens, who play in the top-heavy Atlantic Division, are seven points out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot, and six points out of the Atlantic Division's third playoff spot. They are dealing with a rash of injuries, and just this week announced that winger Brendan Gallagher, who is second on the team with 15 goals, was out indefinitely with a concussion.

Kovalchuk will continue to count against the Kings' salary cap with a hit of $6.25 million through next season.

He was the No. 1 pick of the 2001 draft by the Thrashers and has played in 897 career NHL games, scoring 436 goals and 859 points.

He signed a record 15-year, $100 million deal with New Jersey in 2010, but left just three years in to return to Russia.

The calendar has flipped to 2020, which means we have even more clarity about the NHL Awards picture. Or at least a little more than we had last month.

Here's the NHL Awards Watch for January. Again, this is a prediction of how I expect the voters would consider the current candidates, as well as a look at their merits. Keep in mind that the Pro Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina. Also keep in mind the "You Gotta Be In It To Win It" protocol for the Hart and the Jack Adams.

All stats from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams

Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

Current leader: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (64 points)
Watch out for: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins (59 points)
Dark horse: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (55 points)

Rocket Richard Trophy (leading goal scorer)

Current leader: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (29 goals)
Watch out for: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (27 goals)
Dark horse: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes (23 goals)

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Leader: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins; Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Let's start with the usual caveat when it comes to the Hart Trophy and the postseason race: "You gotta be in it to win it." As of this writing, the Buffalo Sabres are outside the playoff picture. Should they creep back into a playoff spot, or bump up close enough to the playoff bubble, then Jack Eichel (26 goals, 28 assists in 41 games) would absolutely be one of the top three players, supplanting Marchand. He's having a career-redefining season, with 19 more points than the next highest scorer on the Sabres.

But you gotta be in it to win it. As of this writing, the Avalanche, Bruins and Oilers are all in a playoff position. The Sabres, unfortunately, are not.

MacKinnon is everything one wants in an MVP candidate. His 58 points through 40 games is 31 (!) more than the next leading scorer on the Avs. He carried the team when Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar were injured at various times. He was second for the Hart in 2019, so he's clearly on the radar for the award. Unlike the other two candidates, there isn't another player on his team who could lay claim to it.

McDavid was our leader last month, and could easily win his second MVP award if the Oilers make the playoff cut. His 1.49 points per game leads the NHL, Edmonton looks like a completely different team when he's off the ice, and McDavid has filled several highlight reels in the first three months of the season. Plus, voters who have in the past applied the "in it to win it" standard to the Hart Trophy -- raises hand -- would gladly cast a lot to honor Connor. The only wrinkle: Parsing out McDavid's impact on the Oilers and that of teammate Leon Draisaitl, who could swipe the Art Ross from McDavid by season's end.

Marchand has the same issue with teammate and linemate David Pastrnak, who leads him in goals (30 to 20) and points (60 to 59) and hence points per game as well (1.43 to 1.41). But Marchand leads the NHL in goals (15.9) and wins (2.8) above average.

One name to watch: Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers, who are surprisingly close to the playoff bubble. He's averaging 1.41 points per game, has 18 more points than the next highest scoring Ranger and is second to Marchand in goals (14.3) and wins (4.9) above average.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Leader: John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Finalists: Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes; Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

With 50 points in 41 games -- that's 1.22 points per game as a defenseman, for those of you scoring along at home -- it's still Carlson's trophy to lose. It's not just a power-play feast for him, either: Carlson leads all defensemen with 35 even-strength points. There is an analytic case to be made against him. Opponents have a slight shot advantage when he's on the ice, and the Capitals get barely more scoring chances (50.87%). He's 47th among defensemen in goals above average (4.9) and doesn't break the top 30 in wins above replacement (0.9). But he doesn't embarrass himself defensively, which is pretty much all you need when you're scoring at a rate higher than any other defenseman in the past 25 seasons.

While attending the Winter Classic and asking around, it's clear that Josi is getting his "turn" as a Norris contender after previously finishing no higher than fifth in the voting. He had 41 points in 39 games, second to Carlson, with a plus-17 on a Nashville team that's 25th in goals-against average. He's also second to Carlson with 26 even-strength points, and third among defensemen in average ice time (25:36). He's second to teammate Ryan Ellis in goals above average (14.0) and wins above replacement (2.4). In a right and just world, that would mean Ellis would get the awards love. But only one of them is an All-Star this season. Guess which one?

(That Ellis stays healthy would seem paramount to Josi's campaign, given they've played 607 minutes together at 5-on-5 this season. Ellis is "the guy behind the guy.")

Hamilton is going to have to ward off Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues, who is really making a case with 31 points in 41 games and ranks third in both goals and wins above average; Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens, who has some stellar underlying numbers in possession and scoring chances to go with his 31 points in 40 games; and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who is better than a point per game offensively (1.03), right there with Hamilton in goals and wins above average, and is also Victor Hedman, a.k.a. a Norris finalist three years running and last season's winner.

But we're casting our vote for Hamilton here, for his 37 points in 40 games and plus-31, coupled with being fifth in goals and wins above average. The Hurricanes get nearly 60% of the scoring chances when he's on the ice. Like Josi with Ellis, a right and just world would have Hamilton's partner Jaccob Slavin in the Norris mix, but 20 points aren't going to get him there. So the nod goes to Hamilton. Now, if we could only figure out what his Winter Classic pig race name would be ...

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks; Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres

December shook up this race a little bit.

Makar was injured for all but six games of it, and his scoring pace cooled a bit. Olofsson, meanwhile, went bonkers with six goals and 14 points to win the league's rookie of the month award and claim the lead in goals (16) and points (34) among all rookies. But Makar built up so much of a lead in the first two months of the season that he's still the default pick, at least for the voters we pestered recently. With 29 points in 31 games (0.91 points per game) and fourth in goals and wins above average for all defensemen, he's certainly built a formidable case already. But he's also been protected: 16:39 even-strength time on ice per game, which is sixth among rookies, and 64.8% of his shifts starting in the offensive zone. Hughes starts 56.7% of his shifts there and plays 17:14 at even strength on average. His 28 points in 39 games rank him third among all rookies.

Keep an eye on center Martin Necas of the Hurricanes (22 points in 36 games), center Nick Suzuki of Montreal (23 points in 40 games) and defenseman John Marino of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who deserves way more attention than he's getting as a glue guy for a broken team.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Leader: Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
Finalists: Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues; Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Note: The NHL's general managers vote for this award

No changes here from last month's Watch. Kuemper leads the pack in both traditional (.934 even-strength save percentage) and fancy stats (0.538 goals saved above average per 60 minutes, by far the best in the NHL). He's working back from an injury that's kept him out since Dec. 19.

Hellebuyck hasn't been great lately, but his .933 even-strength save percentage and 0.475 goals saved above average per 60 entering Thursday night's games were second to Kuemper. Binnington is fifth in goals saved above average (0.418) but 10th in even-strength save percentage. Keep in mind that it's the general managers voting on this award, and Binnngton's record (19-6-4 entering Thursday night) and accomplishments last postseason might influence these easily swayed ballots.

Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars and Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs are all in the mix. All eyes are on Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has appeared in just 18 games but has a .949 even-strength save percentage. If he plays his way into a "season savior" role given their injuries, he could get a nod.

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

Leader: Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
Finalists: Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights

Couturier's Selke moment is upon us. He's having the best defensive season for any forward, and in particular in comparison to the other contenders. Bergeron is by far the closest competition, as shown by this head-to-head comparison from Natural Stat Trick. Couturier runs just ahead of him in most possession metrics, along with goals against per 60 and on-ice save percentage. Bergeron takes him in other metrics, like in takeaways. Others are a wash. It's close, but Couturier overall has had the better season.

If we're being honest with ourselves, center Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers is just a tick behind Stone, the best defensive winger in the NHL. The Natural Stat Trick comparison between the two reveals significant advantages for Stone in possession and goals-against categories. Then there's that incredible 3.71 takeaways per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Barkov is one of those candidates where the voters could just believe it's his turn, but the numbers have him running behind these three. Keep in mind both Stone and Barkov were a plus-4 entering play Thursday night; as superficial and insufficient as that stat is, a minus-rating could be a vote repellent.

Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)

As usual, this award for "sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct" has no business being in the soiled grasp of professional hockey writers, and should instead be voted on by the players themselves or the NHL's on-ice officials.

As currently constituted, the Lady Byng typically goes to the player with the most points who has the least penalty minutes. Nathan MacKinnon has 58 points and just eight penalty minutes. Teuvo Teravainen has 40 points and eight penalty minutes. Auston Matthews has 48 points, just six penalty minutes and virtually no chance of winning an award dedicated to gentlemanly conduct.

Honestly, they should just give it to Connor McDavid for not going on expletive-laden tirades every other night. The stress that guy's under? Give him something for the effort.

Jack Adams Award (best coach)

Leader: Craig Berube, St. Louis Blues
Finalists: Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs; Barry Trotz, New York Islanders

Note: The Professional Hockey Broadcasters Association votes on this award.

Berube moves to the lead here as the clear-cut candidate from the Western Conference. The Blues haven't shown one iota of Stanley Cup championship hangover in pushing for the conference title and the President's Trophy. That speaks directly to the mindset and confidence Berube has preached since taking over on an interim basis midway through last season. That they've been this good without Vladimir Tarasenko is also astonishing. One could easily see the broadcasters honoring Berube not just for this season, but for everything he's brought to the franchise since taking over the bench.

The Islanders continue to punch above their weight, and hence Trotz will continue to get the lion's share of the credit for their system. The Isles are fifth in goals-against average, score enough to win and have a .697 points percentage. The biggest hurdle for Trotz is having won it last season: In the history of the Jack Adams Award, only one coach -- Jacques Demers in 1986-87 and 1987-88) -- has won the award in consecutive seasons.

At least one of the coaches who took over during the season was going to get some Jack Adams love, and Keefe is that guy. The Leafs are winning, and there's a discernible difference in the way they play under Keefe vs. how they looked under Mike Babcock. It also doesn't hurt to be a Jack Adams candidate with the fully armed and operational Toronto hockey media behind you. Or at least the ones that aren't Babcock loyalists.

Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has led this team through a plague of injuries, is in the conversation. So are Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins and Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes.

England 262 for 9 (Pope 56*) v South Africa

There is no precise antonym for the word "ruthless": like "nonplussed", "disgruntled" and "underwhelmed", it is considered by linguistics scholars to be an unpaired adjective due to the lack of a word with a perfectly opposite meaning.

But if academics can find a way to condense England's batting performance on the first day of the Newlands Test into an adjective, they will finally have found a solution to their problem. If one batsman in the top seven failing to convert a start into a telling contribution might be considered careless, seeing five of them do it suggests a much deeper issue.

England's players have taken to calling this their "cursed" tour, with injury and illness ruining their preparation for both the first and second Tests, but their failure to reach an imposing first-innings total here was largely self-inflicted: having won the toss and chosen to bat first on a fairly placid surface, Joe Root was one of several senior batsmen to get in and get out as South Africa had much the better of the first day. Only Ollie Pope, who made a calm, unbeaten half-century, managed to produce something approaching a match-altering score.

For as much as the home side impressed with a disciplined bowling performance - and their change bowlers, Anrich Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius, were both particularly unerring - there were few magic balls, and instead a series of shots that hinted at a lack of concentration or a failure to take advantage of an ideal situation.

Rory Burns' ankle injury on the eve of the game saw Zak Crawley come into the side for his second Test to open alongside Dom Sibley - not since since 1963 have England had a less-experienced opening pair (excluding nightwatchmen) - as part of perhaps their most adverbial top three ever, with Joe Denly in at No. 3. Crawley was given a brutal working-over in his brief stay at the crease: Vernon Philander hammered the off-stump channel on a length before nudging a fraction fuller, like a precision engineer, and finding the outside edge.

Philander, in his final Test at the ground that has been so good to him, continued to probe just outside the off stump, testing Sibley's open stance and leg-side-dominant game as he regularly beat his prodded defensive shots.

And despite looking more confident and settled at the crease on his way to his highest Test score to date - even unfurling his cover drive within the first hour - Sibley fell in disappointing fashion for the second consecutive innings. Pretorius put the brakes on with three maidens in his first four overs, and Kagiso Rabada reaped the rewards at the other end, drawing an outside edge which Quinton de Kock snaffled.

Nortje made the next breakthrough in a hostile spell. Denly had battled doggedly, but found himself tied down against Keshav Maharaj in particular, taking 49 balls to get past 21, and was hit on the helmet by a sharp bouncer off the fifth ball of Nortje's second over after lunch. With Nortje's speeds nudging past the 90mph/145kph mark, he also had Root camped deep in his crease on the back foot.

Root pushed hard at a back-of-a-length ball in the channel, but lived to tell the tale as Rassie van der Dussen put down his third chance of the series - just like the last two occasions, he was unsighted by de Kock's dive in front of him. But it was hardly a costly drop: two balls later, Nortje aimed a bullet at Root's left shoulder, and as the batsman flinched to get underneath it, he gloved it through to the gleeful wicketkeeper.

Denly's turgid innings was ended seven overs later, as Maharaj pushed through an arm ball which burst between bat and pad to take the top of his off stump. England's No. 3 has reached double figures 19 times in his 22 Test innings, but his 94 against Australia at The Oval remains his most-significant contribution.

Four years on - to the day - from his 258 not out on the ground, Ben Stokes looked in fine touch throughout his innings, hitting Maharaj for a towering six over wide mid-on, but was became the latest England batsman to give his wicket away cheaply when he tamely chipped a low catch to Dean Elgar at extra cover to hand Nortje his second wicket and South Africa their fifth with the score still 15 runs short of 200.

Jos Buttler had signalled his intent to play with more positivity in the build-up to this Test and was true to his word, hitting a flurry of boundaries as he looked to counterattack, getting across to the off side in an attempt to throw the unerring Pretorius off his line. But Pretorius plugged away, shifting his line wider, and produced a gem of a delivery with the old ball to see the back of Buttler, with a hint of movement away off the seam to find an edge.

He struck again with the old ball to affirm South Africa's advantage, angling one in from round the wicket as Sam Curran shouldered arms, only to find his off stump cartwheeling towards fine leg.

When Philander struck with the new ball, drawing Dom Bess into a tame push first ball to one that moved sharply away off the seam, and Rabada accounted for Stuart Broad with a searing yorker, it was down to Pope to free his arms with only James Anderson for company. An uppercut and a club down the ground - worth four each - were the pick of the shots, and he brought up his second Test fifty with a pull in front of square when shepherding the tail.

He was given a reprieve late in the piece, holing out to Philander at long leg only to discover Rabada had overstepped, and Faf du Plessis was visibly frustrated by a seven-over partnership that ensured England will resume on the second morning.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs fired coach Joe Moorhead on Friday, ending his two-year tenure at the school.

"In consultation with President Mark Keenum and after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of our football program, I have decided that a change in leadership is in the best interest of our team and university," athletic director John Cohen said in a statement. "I want to thank Coach Moorhead for the hard work he has done with our football program. I wish Joe and his family success in the future."

Moorhead arrived at Mississippi State's football building shortly before 9 a.m. local time and was informed of his dismissal, according to a source.

Sources told ESPN that university officials were concerned about the culture and discipline in the program under Moorhead, who had a 14-12 record with the Bulldogs that culminated with a 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Monday.

Sources said school officials were not only upset by the team's performance in the Music City Bowl, but also with the situation involving starting quarterback Garrett Shrader, who missed the game with an eye injury reportedly suffered during an altercation at practice.

Moorhead was expected to be fired if Mississippi State lost to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28, sources said. However, the Bulldogs won 21-20 after Ole Miss missed an extra point attempt, which had been moved back when Rebels wide receiver Elijah Moore drew a penalty for pretending to urinate like a dog after scoring the potential game-tying touchdown.

The win made Mississippi State bowl-eligible, and Ole Miss fired coach Matt Luke four days later.

Mississippi State's coaching change will be the 18th in FBS this season, fourth in the Southeastern Conference and third in the SEC West. All the previous openings were filled before the start of the early national signing period for high school recruits on Dec. 18.

Moorhead, 46, is the fourth Power 5 head coach who was hired prior to the 2018 season to be fired, joining Luke, Willie Taggart (FSU) and Chad Morris (Arkansas).

Cohen said associate head coach Tony Hughes will serve as the Bulldogs' interim head coach while a search is being conducted. Potential replacements include Louisiana coach Billy Napier and former Auburn coach Gene Chizik.

Moorhead succeeded Dan Mullen, who left for Florida after the 2017 season. Prior to his arrival at Mississippi State, Moorhead coordinated record-setting offenses at Penn State under coach James Franklin -- averaging 39.3 points and 446 yards per game over the 2016-17 seasons.

Those numbers dipped in Moorhead's two seasons at Mississippi State, with the Bulldogs averaging 28.1 points and 399 yards per game. The Bulldogs went 2-5 against AP-ranked opponents, losing the last four matchups by an average margin of 27.8 points. After leading FBS by giving up just an average of 4.13 yards per play in 2018, the defense also tumbled in 2019, giving up 6.3 yards per play (ranked 107th).

Moorhead, a Pittsburgh native, had been mentioned as a candidate for Rutgers' coaching vacancy, which ultimately went to Greg Schiano. Moorhead went 38-13 as Fordham's coach with three FCS playoff appearances before going to Penn State.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Christian McCaffrey's versatility and superb statistics helped him to a rare double: The Carolina Panthers running back has made The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team at two positions.

McCaffrey rushed for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching a phenomenal 116 passes for 1,005 yards and four TDs. He became the third player in NFL history to finish with 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, joining Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig, who is on the senior ballot for the hall this year.

That so impressed the 50 members of a nationwide media panel who regularly cover the NFL for McCaffrey to be voted the first-team running back and the top flex player. The flex position was created in 2016 to reward players who epitomize the way offense is now played in pro football. Not one fits that description better than McCaffrey, whose terrific season came for a 5-11 team.

"It means a lot," says McCaffrey, a third-year pro. "It is a big honor and that is something that you don't work hard for it, but when it comes you are really grateful and appreciative."

McCaffrey's achievement was complemented by the unanimous selections of New Orleans receiver Michael Thomas and New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore. It's the second straight season both made the squad, Thomas doing it with an NFL-record 149 catches, Gilmore anchoring the league's top-ranked defense.

Ravens sensation Lamar Jackson, who in his second season led Baltimore to a league-best 14-2 mark, was chosen as quarterback. Jackson and McCaffrey were among 14 first-time All-Pros.

Rams safety Eric Weddle witnessed the jukes and jaunts of Jackson firsthand in a 45-6 Ravens romp.

"When you get on the field and you get to the speed of what they run, it's tough," says Weddle, a former All-Pro. "I mean, some of the plays I didn't know who had the ball because they run it so efficiently. (Jackson) is one of a kind; he's pretty special."

This special class includes several multiple All-Pros: Rams DT Aaron Donald and Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner, each for a fifth time; Cowboys right guard Zack Martin and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for a fourth time.

Bears kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson made his third All-Pro roster, as did Eagles center Jason Kelce and Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

All-Pros for the second time included Thomas, Gilmore, Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones, Steelers DT Cameron Heyward, Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater, Colts left guard Quenton Nelson, and Ravens defensive back Marcus Peters, who shared that spot with the teammate Marlon Humphrey and the Chiefs' Tyrann Mathieu (second appearance).

Thomas, Gilmore, Nelson, Hopkins, Kelce, Martin, Donald, Wagner and Tucker repeated from 2018.

The other newcomers were Humphrey; 49ers tight end George Kittle; Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley; Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk; Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt; Saints linebacker Demario Davis; Vikings LB Eric Kendricks; Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White; safeties Jamal Adams of the Jets and Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers; Titans punter Brett Kern; and Saints punt returner Deonte Harris, the only rookie on the team.

"When you got here and people start talking about All-Pro and that's the best of the best, you're like 'Pro Bowl is cool, but I need to get the best of the best,'" says Wagner, who led the NFL in tackles this season. "As you get older you kind of understand how hard these things are to get. And so you don't take any of them for granted and are very grateful for your health, grateful for your teammates. As you get older you reflect and you appreciate things differently that you might not have had when you were young."

Ramczyk once played Division III college ball. Now look at him.

"It's just pretty crazy that I was at a little D-3 school and I'm like, 'If I'm going to play this game, I'm going to play to be the best I possibly can be,'" he says, adding the All-Pro designation is "pretty awesome. It's pretty cool."

Not surprisingly, Baltimore led the All-Pro Team with five selections, while New Orleans had four. There were 16 AFC players and 13 from the NFC.

NBA players and referees will wear a commemorative black band on their uniforms for the rest of the season to honor former commissioner David Stern, the league announced Friday.

Stern, who transformed the league into a global brand during his three decades as commissioner, died Wednesday at the age of 77, three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

"David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads," commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday in a statement. "But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world.

"Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand, making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation."

During Stern's tenure, the NBA became one of the most popular sports leagues in the world and increased television revenue from $10 million per year to about $900 million per year.