Coach Dawn Staley received a contract extension on Friday that South Carolina said will make her the highest paid college women’s basketball coach of all time at a total value of about $25 million.

Staley is signed through the 2029-30 season, earning $4 million a year to start with an annual $250,000 escalator. There’s also a $500,000 signing bonus, the school announced.

Staley has led South Carolina to six of the last nine Final Fours, including each of the last four. The Gamecocks won titles in 2017, 2022 and 2024. They are currently ranked second in the AP poll and are 17-1 on the season.

She is a five-time Coach of the Year.

golf

Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic.

Ewen Ferguson was taking full advantage. Ferguson, a Scot ranked No. 141, shot 7-under 65 and was the unlikely leader by one stroke after the second round of the prestigious European tour event.

David Hillier of New Zealand, who is ranked No. 223, also shot 65 to be in second place and the only player within three strokes of Ferguson. No. 17-ranked Tyrrell Hatton (65) was in a three-way tie for third place on 8 under.

Rahm (77), a two-time major winner now playing on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, and No. 8-ranked Hovland (73) were headed home early after a difficult two days at Emirates Golf Club, where changing winds, thick rough and testing pin placements made for tough conditions.

McIlroy will be hanging around but doesn’t look to be in the form needed, especially with the putter, to win the tournament for a third straight year. The No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman cut a forlorn figure over the final few holes, barely raising a smile even when making birdie at No. 18 to shoot 71 and be on 3-under par for the tournament.

McIlroy was nine strokes off the lead, having made only 39 feet of putts in his entire second round.

MLB

All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran and the Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration when they agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing $3.85 million, a deal that includes an $8 million team option for 2026. Duran was eighth in AL MVP voting last year after hitting .285 with 21 homers, 75 RBIs, 34 steals, 48 doubles and 111 runs.

Turning their attention to the bullpen, the New York Mets have agreed with free agent left-hander A.J. Minter on a two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Multiple media outlets reported Minter, coming off left hip surgery, would be guaranteed $22 million and could opt out of the contract following the 2025 season.

The 31-year-old Minter has spent his entire eight-year major league career with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves, going 24-29 with a 3.28 ERA and 36 saves in 384 appearances — all in relief.

The Athletics agreed to terms on a $10 million, one-year contract with former Texas right-hander José Leclerc. The 31-year-old Leclerc went 6-5 with a 4.32 ERA and one save in 64 relief appearances for the Rangers last season.

NHL

Alex Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have a goal and an assist, and made 40 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Nedeljkovic had a secondary assist on Cody Glass’ goal with 8:17 left in the second period that gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead. He then scored when he sent the puck from behind the net down the ice and into an empty net with 2:42 left in the third.

New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov was suspended for three games without pay for an illegal check to the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Poehling. Poehling left the game Thursday night in the first period with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. The play was reviewed, but officials deemed the hit was not a penalty.

The NHL announced Tsyplakov will forfeit $14,843.76 because of the suspension.

NFL

American football team the Paris Musketeers hired former NFL coach Jack Del Rio as their new head coach. The Musketeers are the only French team in the European League. Home games are at the 19,500-capacity Stade Jean Bouin, which is directly opposite soccer club Paris Saint-Germain’s stadium.

The 61-year-old Del Rio formerly guided the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. He had a 93-94 record in a 12-year NFL head coaching career that included stints with the Jaguars (2003-11) and Raiders (2015-17). He played linebacker in the NFL from 1985-95 after a stellar college career at USC.

The Tennessee Titans moved quickly in hiring a new general manager, announcing Kansas City assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi as their pick. Borgonzi replaces Ran Carthon, who was fired last week after the franchise went 9-25 in his two seasons as general manager.

The Green Bay Packers fired Jason Rebrovich as defensive line coach less than a week after their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild-card playoff round.

The Miami Dolphins will play in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Spain when Madrid hosts a matchup next season at iconic Bernabéu Stadium, the league announced. The date of the game and Miami’s opponent will be announced this spring.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The lawyer for Xavier Lucas says the former Wisconsin player is transferring to Miami, even though the cornerback’s former school never entered his name into the portal. Lucas indicated on social media last month that Wisconsin was refusing to put his name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk to other schools. Lucas had announced earlier in December that he planned to enter the portal.

Lucas had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin this season.

The Sun Belt fined Marshall $100,000 for opting out of the Independence Bowl last month. Marshall withdrew from the Dec. 28 game after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal.

soccer

Utah Royals forward and youth national team standout Ally Sentnor has been named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. The 20-year-old Sentnor is a veteran of the U.S. youth national teams and was captain of the squad that finished third at last year’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. She scored three goals during the tournament. Overall she appeared in 20 games with the under-20 teams between 2022-24, scoring 11 goals.

Denis Law, the Manchester United and Scotland great, has died. He was 84. The death of Law, the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or, was announced by his family through United. In 2021 he was diagnosed with dementia.

Law is forever linked with Bobby Charlton and George Best, the three-pronged strike force that led United to English league titles in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968 — a first for an English club.

Law’s 46 goals in the 1963-64 season remains a single-season record for United. His 237 goals for the club are bettered by only Charlton and Wayne Rooney, though his goals-per-game ratio is higher.