Sports Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
FOOTBALL
ARIZONA HIRES STEELERS’ WHISENHUNT AS NEW COACH
Ken Whisenhunt helped the Pittsburgh Steelers and their young quarterback win a Super Bowl.
Now he will take over for the Arizona Cardinals, where another youngster is at the controls of the offense, but the franchise has made losing a way of life for a long, long time.
The Cardinals hired Whisenhunt, Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator, yesterday to replace head coach Dennis Green, who was fired after going 16–32 in three seasons.
The 44-year-old coach signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth, and is to be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
“In the end, we felt that Ken was the best fit for this organization,” said Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president for football operations, “and we felt that because of the leadership that he portrayed. He presented a well-organized and thorough plan moving forward. We liked it.”
MORA JR. TO HAVE SECOND MEETING WITH DOLPHINS
Former Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. has been invited to a second interview with the Miami Dolphins, who also plan to meet again with Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, a person familiar with the team’s search said yesterday.
The person requested anonymity because the Dolphins have declined to identify candidates.
The Dolphins reached an agreement with their defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, on a new threeyear contract. He may remain in contention for the head coaching job vacated when Nick Saban left for Alabama on January 3.
BASEBALL
OVERBAY AGREES TO $24 M, 4-YEAR DEAL WITH TORONTO
First baseman Lyle Overbay and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $24 million, four-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a team official said yesterday.
Overbay hit .312 with 22 home runs, a team-high 46 doubles and 92 RBIs with Toronto last season after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The team official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not announced.
Overbay avoided arbitration with the deal. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.
The left-handed hitter leads the majors with a total of 133 doubles since 2003.
