Coachs

CALGARY, Canada - The sprint to the Stanley Cup playoffs can be a thing to behold. Unfortunately for the Ducks, it has been more like a sleepy saunter. This four-game trip to Western Canada was supposed to be a victory lap for Anaheim, but it has turned into an opportunity to try to get things right in the final days of the season. What has been a concerning pattern of late deepened in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers intend to speak with former Lakers coach Mike Brown as the team begins its search for a candidate to replace fired coach Byron Scott . Brown's return as the Cavaliers coach, once thought too farfetched, is a distinct possibility. "It should be," said James after the Miami Heat practice Friday. James played for Brown when the Cavaliers reached their greatest heights before the coach was fired three years ago. Brown is a close friend of Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant , who would not answer a direct question about Brown during a news conference to announce Scott's dismissal on Thursday but made it clear the Cavaliers would bring in a coach "who is strong defensively with proven systems.

The numbers game is tilting against UCLA during spring football practice. The Bruins can count the number of healthy defensive linemen on one hand. The number of defensive backs - those on scholarship - is even less. As for offensive linemen, seven is usually only a lucky number in Las Vegas. "We had more guys riding the [stationary] bike on the side than we had on the field today," Coach Jim Mora said Thursday. The reduced numbers because of injuries had Mora scaling back practice.

It hasn't been a good day for NBA coaches. First, Cleveland fired Byron Scott. Then, Doug Collins stepped down as coach of Philadelphia. Now comes word that the Detroit Pistons have fired Lawrence Frank. “We thank Lawrence for his hard work and dedication, but we feel it is in the best interest of the franchise to make a change at this time,” team President Joe Dumars said. “Decisions like this are never easy and we wish Lawrence well in the future.” Frank went 54-94 in two seasons with Detroit, including 29-53 last season.

The NBA on Thursday named the Lakers' Mike D'Antoni as coach of the month for April in the Western Conference The Lakers had the best record in April in the conference, winning seven of eight while finishing the season on a five-game winning streak. Despite the season-ending injury to Kobe Bryant (Achilles' tendon tear), D'Antoni helped guide the Lakers past the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets to not only make the playoffs but climb to seventh place in the West.

Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan has accepted the head coaching position at Rutgers. While the university has yet to announce the hire, Jordan will return to his alma mater, where he attended and played from 1973-77. Jordan replaces Mike Rice, who was fired after a practice video showed him being verbally and physically abusive to his players. While at Rutgers as a student, Jordan was known as "Fast Eddie" and led the Scarlet Knights to a Final Four appearance in 1976. Jordan was added to the Lakers' staff under former coach Mike Brown and was asked to help institute a variation of the Princeton offense.

Private quarterbacks coach Steve Clarkson has been making headlines this week by building up Tim Tebow, trashing Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos, and making a case that Tebow could be the savior of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. All this from a guy who worked with Tebow for just three sessions. Earlier this week, Clarkson -- a Wilson High School graduate who has worked with numerous quarterbacks, including former USC Trojans Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley -- had plenty to say during a conference call with reporters.

Kobe Bryant is sidelined after sustaining a torn left Achilles' tendon, the workaholic confined to his bed to watch games on television after 17 years of going full bore. Is Bryant using this time to relax, to take a break? Quite the contrary. In each of the two games he has missed, Sunday against San Antonio and Wednesday against Houston, Bryant has either sent texts or called  players during the game. In Sunday's win over the Spurs, Bryant called Lakers trainer Gary Vitti during halftime and asked to speak with Gasol.

SACRAMENTO - The cow bell crowd came to beg some more for NBA attention, maybe the last Kings' game to be contested on this prairie before a move to Seattle. But there was the real possibility the energy in this graveyard might raise the Kings from the dead, thereby sending the Clippers to Memphis to begin the playoffs. However, this has been the best regular season in Clippers' history, with Wednesday night's 112-108 victory the exclamation point. While the local yokels remained here in their seats long after the game was over, chanting, "Here we stay," there's a lot more basketball to be played in Los Angeles.

MINNEAPOLIS - Mike Butcher is aware of the chatter. The pitching coach knows there are legions of fans who look at the Angels' major league-worst 5.43 earned-run average and think he should be fired. He also knows people above him in the organization might feel the same way. After hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired last May in the wake of the team's sluggish start, who's to say the Angels wouldn't make a similar move with Butcher if the pitchers continue to struggle? "It doesn't bother me, not at all," said Butcher, when asked before Wednesday's rainout whether Hatcher's dismissal, the first off Manager Mike Scioscia's coaching staff in 13 years, made him feel less secure about his job. "It's not going to make me do my job any different or make me feel any different.