Author: Mikesportz

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is now the longest tenured head coach in the NFL after Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parted ways. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin ranked as top five coach in the NFL© Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images

The morning of Game 7 in Florida, when Kris Knoblauch was asked point-blank if, back last October when he was coaching the New York Rangers AHL Hartford farm club in anonymity, he ever thought he would be then where he was now, he laughed. I would have told people they were crazy,” said Knoblauch. But there he was, behind the Edmonton Oilers’ bench, matching wits with Paul Maurice, who has 30 years in the NHL business, almost 2,000 games. Doing what Knoblauch does best, staying calm in the eye of the storm. After taking over for Jay Woodcroft, whose…

The Miami Heat’s front office and scouting department targeted Indiana center Kel’el Ware during the pre-draft process and were thrilled he was still available when it was their turn to make a pick in the first round. Following a standout pre-draft workout in front of Heat brass at Kaseya Center, the Heat selected Ware with the 15th overall pick on Wednesday in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft. The Heat had Ware ranked higher than the 15th-best prospect on its draft board. Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article289584460.html#storylink=cpy

As expected, Noah Lyles advanced to the semifinals in the 200 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. Lyles easily won his preliminary heat with a time of 20.10. The top six in each heat, plus the next three fastest times move on to the semifinals. Lyles entered the trials with the fastest time in the 200 at 19.47. Lyles’ personal-best of 19.31 is an American record. The 26-year-old sprinter is the heavy favorite in the event. Lyles already won gold in the 100 at the trials to qualify for the Paris Olympics. He won the 100, 200…

The Bears are a popular pick to go from missing the playoffs to making them in 2024. While having a rookie quarterback often comes with growing pains, Caleb Williams is not your typical rookie. ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears even ranks the Bears as the most improved team this offseason. FEATURED VIDEOS NHL Draft Strategy: Breaking Down th… WHICH TEAMS’ OFFSEASON MOVES WILL PAY OFF THE MOST? C PIC.TWITTER.COM/FEI560D1QL – NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 25, 2024 The Bears are followed by the Jets, Titans, Texans, and Ravens. Ryan Poles has made some tough decision but overall he has done…

The 49ers don’t have many defensive weaknesses, but there’s an easy upgrade still available to them on the free-agent market. The San Francisco 49ers should, barring a 2020-like swarm of injuries, boast yet another top-notch defense in 2024. However, as general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have always said, the Niners will never cease to upgrade all positions possible when possible. One of the few areas of the defense where there remain some question marks heading into the new season is within the secondary, specifically at safety. Currently, San Francisco has four prime candidates for the two…

Tony Vitello has become the face of college baseball. He just led Tennessee to the national championship. He was named national coach of the year. And he’s scheduled to be one of the television analysts for the MLB Draft coverage on July 14. But Vitello had achieved prominence before he won a national championship. His 2022 Vols went 57-9 and were heralded as one of the greatest teams in the history of the sport even though it fell one game short of the College World Series. He has accomplished this as a first-time head coach at a program that seemed anchored…

It’s not every day you get an autograph for the ages by one of the premier coaches in college sports. Knoxville native and diehard Vols fan Larrmosha Hollis struck gold when Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello signed a “V” on her chest during the parade honoring the team’s first national title. Coach asked me, ‘Where do you want me to sign it?’ and I yelled, ‘Anywhere!’ And he signed right there. Now the world’s going crazy over my picture. It’s great,” Hollis told Knox News. In a matter of minutes after the signing, Hollis saw the moment replayed on TV…

John Currie wasn’t exactly one of the most popular people in Knoxville for a good long while.  The former Tennessee athletic director, who was dismissed on December 1, 2017 after the fiasco with the botched football coaching search and attempted hire of Greg Schiano, drew ire from fans who after reportedly calling them “wacko” to a journalist in an email during that process. However, one thing Currie did that was brilliant was hire Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello back in June 2017.  Currie managed to pull Vitello, an Arkansas assistant at the time, away from Fayetteville to take over…

The Dallas Cowboys have not come anywhere close to meeting the expectations set for them over the past few years. This is, in many ways, surprising given the immense amount of talent that they have on both sides of the ball. On offense, especially, the Cowboys have an NFL MVP candidate in Dak Prescott and an All-Pro wide receiver in CeeDee Lam Prescott and Lamb, of course, have been making headlines all spring due to their contract situations. Lamb is holding out for a massive extension and has not attended any team activities. Prescott is entering the final year of…