FOOTBALL

HALL OF FAME COACH STRAM DIES

Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, who took the Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowls and was known for his inventive game plans and exuberance on the sideline, died yesterday, his family said. He was 82. Stram had been in declining health for several years and Dale Stram attributed his father’s death to complications from diabetes.

Stram was the Chiefs’ first and winningest coach. He took over the expansion Dallas Texans of the upstart AFL in 1960 and coached them through 1974, moving with them to Kansas City where they were renamed the Chiefs in 1963.

The gregarious, stocky, blazer-wearing Stram led the Chiefs to AFL titles in 1962, ’66, and ’69 and to appearances in the first Super Bowl, a 35-10 loss to Green Bay, and the fourth, a 23-7 victory over Minnesota in 1970. He had a 124-76-10 record with the Chiefs and in 17 seasons as a head coach was 131-97-10 in the regular season and 5-3 in the postseason. Late in his career, he coached two seasons with the New Orleans Saints and enjoyed a successful second career as an analyst with CBS’s television and “Monday Night Football.”

TENNIS

WILLIAMS VAULTS BACK INTO TOP 10

Venus Williams returned to the top 10 in the WTA Tour rankings yesterday by winning Wimbledon, rising to no.8 from no.16. The woman she edged in Saturday’s epic final, Lindsay Davenport, increased her hold on no.1, while Williams’s sister Serena dropped to no. 6 from no. 4 after being upset in the third round.

Roger Federer stayed atop the ATP Tour entry rankings and ATP Champions Race by winning a third consecutive Wimbledon title. None of the first eight spots in the men’s rankings changed, including Lleyton Hewitt at no. 2, French Open champion Rafael Nadal at no. 3,Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick at no. 4, Australian Open winner Marat Safin at no. 5, and eight-time major champ Andre Agassi still at no. 6 despite skipping Wimbledon with an injury.

GOLF

NICKLAUS SHARP AT CANADIAN SKINS

Jack Nicklaus, weeks away from his final British Open appearance, rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole yesterday to win four skins worth $48,231 and take the first-day lead at the Canadian Skins Game.

Canadian Stephen Ames collected two skins worth $28,135, while John Daly won one skin worth $12,058. Vijay Singh missed two short birdie putts and was shut out.

– Associated Press