Urgo, suspended 4 games in regular season, fired after reeling Fordham finished last in Atlantic 10
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Fordham coach Keith Urgo, his program under investigation for recruiting violations, was fired Thursday following the Rams' second straight losing season and a last-place finish in the Atlantic 10.
Athletic director Charlie Guthrie announced a national search for a successor to Urgo, who was promoted from assistant coach after Kyle Neptune left for Villanova in 2022.
The Rams went 25-8 and tied for second in the Atlantic 10 in Urgo's first season, and he was named conference coach of the year. Fordham slipped to 13-20 last season, and the Rams lost nine of their last 10 games this season to finish 12-21.
The school announced Jan. 16 it was self-imposing a four-game suspension of Urgo as part of its investigation with the NCAA. The Rams went 2-2 with associate head coach Tray Woodall leading the team.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
recommended
in this topic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
14 minutes ago
El Salvador human rights lawyer demands public trial as police haul her before judge
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — A lawyer from a prominent human rights organization who has been an outspoken critic of some of President Nayib Bukele's policies demanded a public trial as police brought her before a judge in El Salvador Wednesday. Prosecutors sought to charge her with illegal enrichment and jail her for six months pending trial. Observers say the case against Ruth Eleonora López is retaliation for her work while authorities allege she aided one of her former employers being prosecuted for embezzlement. Authorities arrested López at her home on May 18. The anticorruption lawyer, who works for the nongovernmental organization Cristosal, has denied the accusations. Wednesday's hearing was closed to the public as the case is under seal. As she was escorted by police through the court building Wednesday, a shackled López with a Bible between her hands, shouted: 'They're not going to silence me, I want a public trial,' according to a brief video posted by Cristosal on X. 'The people have to know.' Earlier, defense attorney Pedro Cruz, surrounded by reporters in the courthouse, said he disagreed with the decision to seal the case. He said prosecutors had done so 'because they fear they made an unfounded accusation.' She had not made her initial appearance before a judge until Monday, more than two weeks after her arrest. At that hearing, prosecutors announced the illegal enrichment, different from the original embezzlement, and requested that she be held while they continue to investigate. Cristosal has been an critic of some of Bukele's policies, including the state of emergency giving him special powers that has now been in place for more than three years. The measure restricts the right to gather, to be informed of rights and to have access to a lawyer. It extends to 15 days the time that someone can be held without charges. Some 86,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency. López is the head of Cristosal's Anti-Corruption Unit, which has produced reports and filed legal actions related to government corruption. Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, said via X that she was closely following López's hearing. 'The state must guarantee her right to due process. She must be freed.' López's alleged wrongdoing dates to her time as an adviser to Eugenio Chicas, the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the administration of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén (2014-2019). 'Ruth has dedicated her life to the defense of human rights and the fight against corruption,' Cristosal said in a statement last week. 'Hers is not an isolated case: it is part of a pattern of criminalization against critical voices.'
Los Angeles Times
18 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rams' Jared Verse and Braden Fiske look to run it back again
Jared Verse and Braden Fiske joined the Rams last season as something of a one-two punch. The former Florida State teammates were drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, and lived up to their billing as individuals and as a collective force. Verse, an edge rusher, became the NFL defensive rookie of the year. Fiske, a defensive lineman, was a finalist for the award. 'I think we did good, but I think we became more focused on helping the team than trying to do our own little thing and having a good little duo going on,' Verse said, adding, 'So now we finally took another step — having another year together to figure out, 'Hey, this is how I work, this is how he works.' 'So, I feel like this year is going to be a good one for us to play together.' As they prepare for their second seasons, the two young stars are part of a front that could rank as one of the NFL's most dynamic. The unit includes tackle Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and several additions, including tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart and rookie tackle Ty Hamilton. With organized team activities underway, Verse, 24, remains a boisterous presence on and off the field for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender. After recording 4 1/2 sacks and 18 quarterback hits last season, Verse said he took the advice of a former NFL player and spent part of the offseason reviewing video of every snap. He focused on the 'bad' plays and studied ways to improve. 'The biggest thing I realized was how many sacks — and not even just sacks but big plays — that I missed out on,' he said, adding, 'Realizing that this really is a game of inches — whether it's stopping the ball or actually just doing your job — there's a couple of things I could've done better.' Not that defensive coordinator Chris Shula wants Verse to change much. 'We're not looking for any stats,' Shula said. 'Not looking for anything else — just want him to play hard and be his best self every single day.' Fiske, 25, amassed a team-best 8 1/2 sacks and 10 quarterback hits last season while playing through a knee issue. He aggravated the injury in the NFC divisional-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and then had offseason surgery. Though he said he was 'feeling great,' trainers are limiting Fiske's reps during organized team activities. 'There's no need to rush,' Fiske said. 'The big goal in mind is training camp and, obviously, September when it's time to go.' Fiske rehabilitated from upper body injuries during his college career, but the process of recovering from the knee injury forced him to slow down for the first time since prepping for his final season at Florida State. 'My entire career has been [centered on] just go, go, go, nonstop. No offseason. No time off,' Fiske said. 'So it's been probably good for me mentally and physically, of just like, 'Hey, it's all right to take a break and ease back into it.'' The rehab work and the structured workload has paid off, he said. 'I dealt with it all last season, so where I'm at now is awesome,' he said. The coaching staff's expectations for Fiske are 'just like Verse,' Shula said. 'We just want him to be himself and to continue to elevate the strengths in his game and work on the weaknesses in his game,' Shula said. 'That's exactly what he's doing.'
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has always had to take the winding road to NBA success
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle listens during a news conference, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings) Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, right, motions to players on the court as assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, far left, talks with guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon, left, holds the trophy near head coach Rick Carlisle after the Pacers won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stands on the sideline before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stands on the sideline before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle listens during a news conference, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings) Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, right, motions to players on the court as assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, far left, talks with guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon, left, holds the trophy near head coach Rick Carlisle after the Pacers won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stands on the sideline before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The drive between the little upstate New York towns of Lisbon and Ogdensburg, by Rick Carlisle's recollection, would take about eight minutes. In that part of the world, in the St. Lawrence valley just a few miles south of Canada, that's like going next door. That ride is probably a reason why Carlisle — the Indiana Pacers coach — is at the NBA Finals for a sixth time as a player, assistant coach and now a head coach. Advertisement The story behind the ride is this: Carlisle went to Lisbon Central, a school where everyone from kindergarten through 12th grade was housed in the same building — that's quite common in that part of the world — and was the first 1,000-point scorer there. But if he wanted to watch NBA games, the family had to hop in the car and head to Ogdensburg. The reason? There was no cable TV in Lisbon at that time, and the aerial antenna at the family home couldn't pick up any NBA games. 'We had a thing, you turn the rotor in the direction and the antenna would move and it would either go towards Kingston, Ontario, or Watertown, New York,' Carlisle said. And back in those days we only got the CBS affiliate, and they didn't have the NBA back in those early years. But we got Hockey Night in Canada." And yes, Carlisle played hockey in those days. He just liked basketball more. That's why that eight-minute drive would get made, over and over, so he could see NBA games. Advertisement Fast forward to now, and Carlisle — who won a title with Boston as a player and with Dallas as a head coach — is four wins away from another championship. 'I can't say enough about him and the respect I have for him,' said Mark Daigneault, whose Oklahoma City team will face off with Carlisle's Pacers when the NBA Finals start Thursday night. "I think the whole is better than the sum of the parts. Almost consistently across every year he's ever coached, the team is better than their sum. I think that's a reflection of him. 'His teams play a clear identity, stay in character through all the ups and downs. That identity has changed over the years based on his teams, the league trends. But his teams are always in character. This year is certainly no exception.' There are parallels between Daigneault and Carlisle. Both are incredibly smart. Both might lean toward a dry sense of humor. And Daigneault isn't exactly a big-city guy, either. His hometown — Leominster, Massachusetts — has a population of about 43,000, which makes it an absolute metropolis compared to Lisbon and its population of about 4,300. Advertisement Big city, small town, no matter one's roots, Daigneault said everyone feels the same way getting to the finals. 'Every single person that's participating in this, whether it's coaches, players, staff, there was a time in their life when this was just a dream,' Daigneault said. 'This wasn't a foregone conclusion for them. That's every player that's participating. There's a time when they were in their driveway shooting 1-on-0 with a basket counting down the end of the game. That's what makes it so special to participate in.' Carlisle was close friends with Hal Cohen, who played at nearby Canton Central and was part of Jim Boeheim's first class at Syracuse. Cohen was one of the first players from that part of the world to play basketball at a Division I level; he showed Carlisle the way. Carlisle went to prep school for a year before starting his college playing career at Maine, his lone Division I offer. He wound up eventually transferring to Virginia and playing alongside Ralph Sampson. 'Changed my life forever,' Carlisle said. Advertisement Carlisle got drafted in the third round in 1984 — 'a round that no longer exists in the draft,' Carlisle says — and played in the league for parts of five seasons, with a brief stint with the CBA's Albany Patroons thrown in there as well. He was with the Patroons not long after one of their more successful coaches had left; that coach's name was Phil Jackson, who went on to win 11 NBA titles. The road here, just like that road between Lisbon and Ogdensburg, was more than a bit winding. 'Had great coaching and a lot of things that were very fortunate,' Carlisle said. 'I ended up getting drafted by Boston in a round that no longer exists in the draft. A lot of things fell my way. But I worked hard, too.' ___ AP NBA:
