Head Coach

Former Lakers Coach and Miami Heat President Pat Riley reminisced about the late Jerry Buss on Thursday before he spoke at Buss' memorial service. "It's just a forever and for-always relationship," Riley said. "I just think he was an incredible person. " Riley worked for the Lakers before Buss purchased the team, both as a player and broadcaster. "It was a new paradigm -- a new Laker paradigm -- when [Buss] showed up and bought the team 1979-1980," Riley said. "He just brought the best in everybody.

After once going three decades between College World Series appearances, UCLA is on the verge of becoming an Omaha regular. The Bruins advanced to the World Series twice in the last three years. UCLA enters Friday's opener against Minnesota ranked second by ESPN/USA Today and 12th by Baseball America. And with every starting pitcher and an All-American reliever back from a team that finished 48-16 overall, 20-10 in the Pac-12 Conference last season, the Bruins might be positioned for another run to Omaha.

USC fired baseball coach Frank Cruz for knowingly violating NCAA rules that limit the number of hours athletes can spend in activities directed or supervised by the coaching staff, Athletic Director Pat Haden said. Dan Hubbs, in his second season as the Trojans' associate head coach and pitching coach, was named head coach for a team that opens its season Friday against Cal State Fullerton. USC, which is on NCAA probation for violations related to former football player Reggie Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo, also announced that it had self-imposed a reduction in the number of baseball practice hours for this season and next year.

Dennis Erickson is back in college football -- but not as head coach of his seventh NCAA team. The former two-time national championship winner has been hired as the co-offensive coordinator at Utah, the school announced Monday. That's right, co -offensive coordinator. The 65-year-old Erickson will share the role with 26-year-old Brian Johnson, a former quarterback for the Utes. It will be Erickson's first job as anything but head coach in more than 30 years. Erickson won national titles with Miami in 1989 and '91 and has been head coach at six universities (176-96-1)

The NFL has reinstated former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after suspending him for his role in the New Orleans' bounty scandal, and the Tennessee Titans have added him to their coaching staff as senior assistant coach. "Commissioner Roger Goodell today notified Gregg Williams and the Tennessee Titans that Williams' contract with the Titans has been approved and that he has been reinstated," the league said in a statement. "The commissioner cited several reasons for the reinstatement, including Williams' forthcoming acknowledgment of and acceptance of responsibility for his role in the bounty program at the Saints, his commitment to never again be involved in a pay-for-performance or bounty system, and his pledge to teach safe play and respect for the rules at all levels of the game.

NEW ORLEANS — Everyone knows that Super Bowl XLVII pits coaching brothers John and Jim Harbaugh. But few people are aware the game is also father versus son. Jay Harbaugh, 23, whose father coaches the San Francisco 49ers, is a coaching intern for Baltimore. He works for his uncle, John, head coach of the Ravens, and he agreed to an extensive interview with The Times, provided the story run after the teams' last media availability of the week. That media window closed Friday morning with a joint press conference featuring the Harbaugh brothers.

The Dallas Cowboys have gone into the "Let's hire former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant coaches" business lately, causing many to wonder if hiring Jon Gruden as their new head coach can be far behind. In the last couple of weeks, the Cowboys hired defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, all of whom were assistants under Gruden when he coached the Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008. So far, there has been no comment from the Cowboys, which must make current head coach Jason Garrett a little nervous.

Sean Payton has been reinstated as coach of the New Orleans Saints, the NFL announced Tuesday morning. Payton was suspended for a year for his role in the Saints' "bountygate" scandal, although the players allegedly involved had their suspensions lifted. Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated Payton after meeting with him Monday. The coach "pledged to uphold the highest standards of the NFL and ensure that his staff and players do so as well," the league said Tuesday in a news release.

Which Harbaugh brother would you want to coach your team? Reporters from around the Tribune family tackle the question of the day. Ron Fritz, Baltimore Sun Which brother would I want? Neither. I want their dad, Jack Harbaugh, to coach my team. I'd pay whatever I had to so he would leave the comfy confines of his basement in Wisconsin to return to this sideline. It probably wouldn't take much to get him back in the game, either. Then he'd hire Jim as offensive coordinator and John as defensive coordinator/associate head coach (since he's older)

About an hour before tipoff against Oregon State on Saturday, Bob Cantu stood outside USC's locker room at the Galen Center attempting to recall the keypad sequence to gain entry. Cantu eventually got inside — and then the Trojans' interim coach came up with the right combination for his first victory. It wasn't exactly how Cantu drew it up — the Trojans blowing a 15-point lead in the second half — but USC executed when it counted and won, 69-68. "It feels great," Cantu, a USC assistant for 12 seasons, said of earning his first victory.