Coaches

George Allen, the steely personification of the victory-obsessed football coach, who motivated underachieving Los Angeles Rams and over-the-hill Washington Redskins teams into perennial powerhouses and came back this year to post one last winning season as coach of the Cal State Long Beach 49ers, died Monday. Allen, a physical fitness buff who never fulfilled his elusive dream of building a national fitness academy, died of natural causes at his Palos Verdes Estates home. He was 72.

OAKLAND — Mickey Hatcher knows he has plenty of critics; they came out in full force on Internet message boards and radio call-in shows every time the Angels went into a prolonged offensive slump. What he didn't know until he was fired as Angels hitting coach last week was just how many friends he gained in 12-plus years on Manager Mike Scioscia's staff. "I'm in awe of all the people who have called — I've gotten thousands of calls from people in and out of the game, wishing me the best," Hatcher said by phone Tuesday during a round of golf at Coyote Hills in Fullerton.

Buddy Ryan punched Houston Oiler offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride during a sideline altercation Sunday night, giving a national television audience the ugliest manifestation yet of a feud that has been simmering all season.

Some 12 hours after they were swept 4-0 by the San Antonio Spurs and eliminated Sunday night from the Western Conference semifinals, the Clippers experienced a day for reflection about a successful season despite the pain of being pushed out of the playoffs. Monday also was a day for the Clippers to discuss the future and how they could sustain what was built during the 2011-12 season. The two people in charge of running the organization, President Andy Roeser and vice president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, have several key decisions to make.

Reporting from Las Vegas — The winks, nods and thumbs up from college coaches started from practically the opening tip of Stefan Moody's first game. The diminutive point guard would race down the court in a blur, his dreadlocks flapping in the air as he finished a fastbreak with a monstrous two-handed dunk that seemed impossible for a player of his size or stature on the club basketball circuit. Particularly since he had none. Moody was an unknown to major-college coaches only four days ago, just another name in an inch-thick packet of nearly 500 teams participating in the Las Vegas Fab 48 tournament.

Jami Shannon, who has won more softball games than any active coach in Orange County and second most in the Southern Section, has been fired by Los Alamitos High School officials after 21 seasons. She was told last week by Dr. Rebecca Shore, who just finished her first school year as principal at Los Alamitos. Shannon said she was "blindsided" by being fired. It does not affect her position as a special education assistant at the school.

Just last week, the front-page story in the local paper--right up there in the top right corner--was headlined, "Hemet Kiwanis quits barbecue; Valley Kiwanis likely new host." And then the local football coach and his wife were arrested for allegedly providing sex to players. If a town can be turned on its head, this place is testimony: Probably nothing else could so rattle a community and attract out-of-town reporters like moths swarming to a spotlight. "It's like, Hemet is open to sex.

Thanks for the memories? The 31 players who spent only one season in college before becoming first-round NBA draft picks since the league changed its minimum-age requirements in 2005 have produced zero NCAA titles. Generating headaches for fans, coaches and teammates hasn't been quite as taxing. The unexpected departure of Jrue Holiday after one season at UCLA contributed to a rare losing season the following year for the Bruins. USC's O.J. Mayo sparked a NCAA investigation over improper benefits that led to self-imposed punishments that included a postseason ban and helped nudge coach Tim Floyd out of what he had long proclaimed would be his last job. Floyd now coaches at Texas El Paso.

Thousand Oaks High is conducting an investigation into charges that assistant football coach Bob Shoup, who coached at Cal Lutheran for 28 years, made improper contact with a member of the Moorpark High team. George Paul, whose son Bryan was a backup quarterback last fall at Moorpark, said he contacted Shoup and had lunch with the coach last week. Bryan also attended the meeting. Shoup, 61, was a first-year walk-on coach at Thousand Oaks last fall.

Laker Coach Phil Jackson underwent an angioplasty to unblock an artery in his heart Saturday, the day before a crucial Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. As the Lakers try for a fourth consecutive NBA championship, the procedure marks another turn in a tumultuous season that included the death of the team's legendary broadcaster, player injuries and inconsistency.

SAN DIEGO - After six seasons in the minor leagues, Jim Eppard finally got the call to the Angels. In his first major league at-bat, on Sept. 8, 1987, he singled - off current Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza. In his second at-bat, two days later, he singled again. Two hits, two at-bats, each as a pinch-hitter. This Eppard kid might have a pretty good future. Or, as it turned out, he might not. Eppard - who replaced Mickey Hatcher, the Angels' hitting instructor who was let go Tuesday - finished his brief major league career with 139 at-bats.

DALLAS -- Biggest brother Jean Lopez, the coach, the instigator, the only sibling not to compete for the Olympics in taekwondo, gets choked up for a minute. He is thrilled to speak about his 33-year-old brother, Steve, who will be aiming for a fourth Olympic medal in his fourth Olympics this summer in London. Jean can't help but giggle when he speaks about his 28-year-old sister, Diana, who will compete in her second Olympics and try to better the bronze medal she earned in 2008.

As he sat at the podium, Coach Mike Brown's infectious smile and enthusiasm suddenly evaporated. It had nothing to do with the Lakers' 2-0 deficit to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. It had nothing to do with basketball.

Phoenix Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett appeared to take a dive on his diving charge. Thursday Tippett felt the Kings were well suited to be playing near Hollywood, given their acting abilities, saying "more than one penalty" against his team "were plays where there was embellishment. " Friday Tippett said his comments weren't "geared toward that game last night. " So was there embellishment by the Kings during the game or by Tippett after it? Either this is a coach who has had enough of players taking a dive or someone's team is down 3-0 in the Western Conference finals.

SAN DIEGO -- Bud Black was a member of Mike Scioscia's original coaching staff with the Angels. Three of those coaches ascended to managerial jobs - Black with the San Diego Padres, Joe Maddon with the Tampa Bay Rays and Ron Roenicke with the Milwaukee Brewers. Never in Scioscia's 13 years had one of his coaches left involuntarily - until this week, that is. Hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher , another of Scioscia's original coaches, was fired by General Manager Jerry Dipoto . "Your initial reaction is surprise," Black said.

The Kings had already disposed of the No. 1-seeded Vancouver Canucks when Coach Darryl Sutter flipped two of his left wings and turned a good team into a juggernaut that has trampled the best the Western Conference has to offer while moving within a victory of earning a berth in the Stanley Cup finals. Sutter's decision to put brawny rookie Dwight King with Jarret Stoll and Trevor Lewis on the third line and move the hard-to-motivate Dustin Penner alongside Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on the second line was a stroke of genius.

Former U.S. Olympian Dominique Moceanu, who at 14 was part of the 1996 gold-medal team, said Tuesday night that USA Gymnastics team coordinator Martha Karolyi once grabbed her by the neck and slammed her face into a phone, and that former coach Bela Karolyi twice berated her about her weight in front of national teammates.

In a time of budget cuts, teacher layoffs and campus closures, at least one position in high school education is in such demand that salaries are skyrocketing well into six digits: Football coach. Hoping to bolster school spirit and create an atmosphere that will attract new students and benefactors, private-school administrators from south Orange County to the outskirts of Ventura are digging deep to structure financial packages for coaches that dwarf those of even the best-trained, experienced teachers.

Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird was voted the NBA's executive of the year on Wednesday, becoming the first person to win that award, plus the most valuable player and coach of the year honors. The Pacers went 42-24 and are tied 1-1 with Miami in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Bird's moves to strengthen the team during the off-season included promoting Frank Vogel from interim to head coach and signing starting forward David West . He acquired point guard George Hill in a draft-night deal with San Antonio, and traded for Lou Amundson and Leandro Barbosa to fortify the bench for the Pacers, who earned the No. 3 seeding in the East and had the fifth-best record in the league.

SAN ANTONIO - For at least a day or two, Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro was free of criticism and gaining credibility. His team had just pulled off an unlikely Game 7 upset of the Memphis Grizzles on the road, and praise for the coach flew in from all directions. It was a very different scene Tuesday after the Clippers were manhandled in a 16-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and a dejected Del Negro kept his head bowed for much of the postgame press conference. It will be up to Del Negro to prove that he can make winning adjustments.