FOOTBALL

REPORT: JETS HIRE SCHOTTENHEIMER AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR The Jets’ search for an offensive coordinator has ended. According to a report on ESPN.com yesterday, Gang Green has hired San Diego quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer, the son of Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer to replace the departed Mike Heimerdinger.

Heimerdinger was hired yesterday by the Denver Broncos to be the assistant head coach under Mike Shanahan.

Schottenheimer, 32, has been in the league for seven seasons. He joined the St. Louis Rams’ staff for the 1997 season, coached at Kansas City in 1998, then went to the college level for two years at Syracuse (1999) and USC (2000). After spending the 2001 season on his father’s staff with the Washington Redskins, he followed the elder Schottenheimer to San Diego in 2002. Schottenheimer is said to have a very keen feel for the passing game, is good in mentoring quarterbacks, and was key to the development of Chargers’ quarterback Drew Brees the last two seasons.

TENNIS

BAGHDATIS JUMPS TO NO. 27 IN THE RANKINGS Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis cut his ATP ranking in half, moving from no. 54 to no. 27 after his strong showing at the first Grand Slam of the year. Baghdatis, who defeated second-seeded Andy Roddick, fourth-seeded David Nalbandian, and seventh-seeded Ivan Lubicic on his way to the Australian Open final, lost in four sets to Roger Federer in the championship final Sunday.

Federer remains in the top spot on the rankings table, followed by Rafael Nadal, who did not play in Australia due to a left foot injury. Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who lost in the second round at the Australian Open, dropped to no. 11.

In the WTA Tour rankings, Kim Clijsters, who advanced to the semifinals at Melbourne before losing to Amelie Mauresmo, took over the no. 1 spot as projected last week. She replaced Lindsay Davenport, who moved to third while Australian Open champion Mauresmo took over second place. Serena Williams, the 2005 Australian Open champion who lost in the third round at Melbourne, is 39th, a fall of 24 places.

HOCKEY

BLUES DEAL WEIGHT TO HURRICANES American Olympian Doug Weight was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes from the struggling St. Louis Blues in a trade involving four players and three draft picks. In exchange for the all-star forward Weight and left wing Erkki Rajamaki, the Hurricanes traded their 2006 first round pick, Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2006, Chicago’s fourth-round pick in 2007, right wing Jesse Boulerice, centre Mike Zigomanis, and rights to unsigned draft pick Magnus Kahnberg to the Blues.

Carolina acquired the fourth-round pick from Toronto in the draft-day deal that sent Jeff O’Neill to the Maple Leafs, and acquired Chicago’s 2007 fourth-round pick in the December 29 trade that sent Radim Vrbata to the Blackhawks.

The 35-year-old Weight, in the last year of a five-year contract, led St. Louis with 33 assists and 44 points and ranked third on the team with 50 penalty minutes in 47 games this season. In 959 career games, Weight has recorded 872 points (including 637 assists).The Blues, who dealt Mike Sillinger to the Nashville Predators for Timofei Shishkanov on Sunday, eliminate Weight’s $5.7 million contract from their books.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NORTHERN IOWA, MICHIGAN JOIN TOP 25 Northern Iowa is ranked in the Associated Press’s top 25 for the first time. Michigan is back in for the first time in almost a decade. The Panthers and Wolverines were among four teams new to the poll yesterday, but their waits were a lot longer than Iowa and LSU, which were both ranked earlier this season.

The top of the poll stayed the same with Connecticut, Duke, and Memphis in the first three spots, but then came a number of changes after a week that saw 12 ranked teams lose at least one game.

Northern Iowa (19-3), ranked 25th this week, has been in the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. Last year the Panthers were one of three teams from the Missouri Valley Conference to make it, along with Creighton and Southern Illinois.

Michigan (15-3) moved in at no. 21, the Wolverines’ first appearance in the top 25 since the final poll of the 1997-98 season, which was also the last time they were in the NCAA tournament. George Washington, meanwhile, made its first top 10 appearance since January 3, 1956, when the Colonials were ranked seventh.

BASEBALL

HAIRSTON SIGNS ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH CUBS Second baseman/outfielder Jerry Hairston agreed to a one-year, $2.3 million deal yesterday with the Chicago Cubs and avoided a salary arbitration hearing. Hairston, acquired by the Cubs last year from Baltimore for Sammy Sosa, hit .261 in 114 games in 2005 with four homers and 30 RBI. – Associated Press