Lawrence, Kan.
Not enough has changed over the past three-plus seasons.
So after a loss to Iowa State on Saturday in which the Jayhawks looked unprepared and uninspired, Beaty was informed he would be let go after the season with three games still remaining.
“Philosophically, I’ve always been hesitant to make a change in a coaching position, particularly a head coach, during the season,” Kansas athletic director Jeff Long said on Sunday night. “The early-signing date in December and the new transfer regulations have changed the dynamic, and it was my determination that now is the right time to announce this decision.
“Ultimately,” he said, “I did not see a path forward to long-term success in the Big 12.”
Beaty, who is 6-39 with just two Big 12 wins, will begin the end of his tenure with Saturday’s rivalry game at Kansas State. He will be paid $3 million in up to six installments under terms of his contract, which was extended two years through 2021 in late 2016.
Gophers Fire Defensive Coordinator
Minneapolis
Coach P.J. Fleck made the announcement on Sunday night. He named defensive line coach Joe Rossi the interim defensive coordinator.
Fleck hired Smith last year upon taking over the program at Minnesota, having spent two seasons with Smith as assistants together at Rutgers. The 43-year-old Smith was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas for four seasons before joining the Gophers.
Star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. injured his foot in the conference opener at Maryland, and the defense hasn’t recovered. The Gophers gave up 430 rushing yards on Saturday in a 55-31 loss at Illinois. Four touchdowns by the Illini covered 67 yards or more.
Air Force MascotRecovering From Injury
Air Force Academy, Colo.
The 22-year-old bird named Aurora “was able to fly around in her pen” on Sunday, said Air Force Academy spokesperson Lt. Col. Tracy A. Bunko.
The development is “an extremely good sign,” Bunko said, adding that the academy is “grateful for the outpouring of support and optimistic for Aurora’s recovery.”
The falcon will continue to be evaluated and will get antibiotics to prevent infection, Bunko said.
Army officials at West Point apologized on Sunday for the injuries to the falcon and promised a full investigation. “We are taking this situation very seriously, and this occurrence does not reflect the Army or USMA core values of dignity and respect,” the academy said in a statement.
Sam Dollar, Air Force’s falconry team adviser, told The New York Times on Sunday that two West Point cadets took the birds, threw sweaters over them and stuffed them into dog crates. Dollar said the cadets turned over the birds Saturday morning, with Aurora’s wings bloodied — likely from thrashing inside the crate.
“I think they had them for a couple hours and then they realized it was a bad mistake,” Dollar told the newspaper. “When Aurora started thrashing around in the crate, they decided that wasn’t a good thing.”
Aurora is the Air Force Academy’s official and oldest mascot. On the school’s falconry page, the bird is described as a white phase gyrfalcon, which is a “falcon species that is extremely rare in the wild and whose beauty will take your breath away.”
“Unless you are federally licensed, you can’t even touch them,” Dollar said, adding the Air Force cadets who work with the birds spend two months in training and are tested before they can handle them.
Three percent of all falcons are gyrfalcons, and 1 percent of those are white, according to the website. The school acquired Aurora 22 years ago as a gift from the association of graduates.
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