The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they cycled on a rural New Jersey road pleaded not guilty to the indictment Tuesday after turning down a prosecution offer of 35 years in prison.

Sean M. Higgins, 44, appeared briefly in court in Salem County, New Jersey, and entered a formal plea to the recent indictment in the Aug. 29 deaths. The case will now move toward trial.

Police say Higgins, of Woodstown, had a history of road rage and was impaired that day after drinking five or six beers. He said he had been driving around for two hours, sometimes talking by phone with a friend, after an upsetting conversation with his mother.

Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were killed near their childhood home in South Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding.

NFL

Raiders fire Coach Pierce >> The Las Vegas Raiders fired Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after just one season as their full-time coach, the latest in a line of coaching changes over the past several years.

“We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach,” the team said in a statement. “Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future.”

Pierce took over as the interim coach midway through the 2023 season and went 5-4 the rest of the way, earning strong player support for him to get the job on a full-time basis.

Titans Fire GM >> The Tennessee Titans fired general manager Ran Carthon after two seasons on the job and a 9-25 record.

The Titans introduced Carthon as the franchise’s first Black general manager and its 14th of all time in January 2023, and he helped the franchise hire a new coach in Brian Callahan a year later.

Tennessee controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, who fired general manager Jon Robinson in December 2022, will have yet another new GM helping the franchise decide what to do with its fourth overall No. 1 pick in the NFL draft after going 3-14 in 2024.

Dolphins GM says WR Hill never asked for a trade >> The Miami Dolphins don’t appear to have any immediate plans to trade Tyreek Hill.

General manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel both had conversations with Hill a day after the star receiver indicated he might want out of Miami following a loss to the New York Jets, which punctuated a losing season in which the Dolphins missed the playoffs.

Grier said Hill did not retract his postgame statements, when he said he enjoyed playing in Miami, but “at the end of the day, I’ve got to do what’s best for my career.”

“But he never asked for a trade with me,” Grier added, speaking at his end-of-season news conference Tuesday.

Jets interview former Coach Ryan >> Rex Ryan has returned to the New York Jets — for an interview, at least.

The former Jets coach and current ESPN analyst, who led the franchise to its last playoff appearance to cap the 2010 season, met with the team Tuesday about its head coaching vacancy.

Ryan went 50-52, including 4-2 in the playoffs, in six years with the Jets before being fired after the 2014 season. He has lobbied openly for the job during recent TV and radio appearances.

College Football

Washington State wins lawsuit over former coach >> Washington State was justified in firing Nick Rolovich as head football coach because of his refusal to comply with the state’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements, a federal judge has ruled.

Rolovich sued the university following his dismissal midway through the 2021 season. He claimed that as a Catholic, he was exempted from the state’s vaccine mandate but his exemption request had been denied.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice ruled that Washington State could not accommodate Rolovich without undue hardship, including increased travel costs and hindered recruitment and fundraising efforts. The university also claimed damage to its reputation.

Rice also found no basis for Rolovich’s objection to the vaccine on religious grounds.

Former Florida State WR transfers to Oregon >> Wide receiver Malik Benson is leaving Florida State and transferring to Oregon, he announced on social media.

Oregon will be Benson’s third school in three years after he played two seasons at a Kansas junior college before transferring to Alabama first, then Florida State. Benson is in line to play another season after a federal judge last month issued a preliminary injunction allowing Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia to play one more year after Pavia challenged NCAA eligibility rules for athletes coming from junior colleges.

Basketball

Nowitzki and Griffin to become analyst’s for Prime video coverage >> Taylor Rooks, Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki will be part of the Prime Video studio show when the streamer begins its coverage of the NBA next season.

Griffin, who retired in April after a 15-year playing career, was at the top of the list for everyone. NBC, which will return to doing NBA games when the 11-year media rights deal begins in October, and ESPN were also interested in him.

Griffin was the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA Draft and was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2011. Along with winning the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest, when he dunked over a parked car, he was a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection.

Nowitzki — a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team — will also be a first-time analyst.

Baseball

Red Sox sign Buehler to deal >> Right-hander Walker Buehler is guaranteed $21.05 million in his one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox and can earn an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses based on starts.

Buehler gets a $3.05 million signing bonus under the agreement announced Dec. 28 and a $15 million salary this year. The deal includes a $25 million mutual option for 2026 with a $3 million buyout.

He would receive $500,000 each for 20 starts and each additional two through 28.

Racing

South African teenage becomes youngest Dakar Rally winner >> Nineteen-year-old Saood Variawa of South Africa became the youngest top-class driver to win a stage in the Dakar Rally.

The previous record was 22, set last Saturday by American Seth Quintero. Both are competing in the ultimate car category for only the second time.

Variawa and Quintero fought with Toyota teammate Lucas Moraes of Brazil for the lead in the 327-kilometer (203-mile) third stage from Bisha north to Al Henakiyah in the Saudi desert. They were within a minute of each other for at least 200 kilometers.

Moraes was the early pace-setter, Quintero took over in the second half but Variawa nosed ahead over the last 60 kilometers and shrugged off a late puncture.