Outlaw Assistant Is Fired After Fight on Plane

Defensive line coach John Teerlinck is no longer associated with the Arizona Outlaws after an altercation with tackle Don Hickman aboard an airplane, an official of the United States Football League team said Tuesday.

Steve Des George, the club’s public relations director, said he did not know if Teerlinck had been fired, but said he was told Teerlinck was “no longer involved with the team.” He said other team officials were not available to clarify the situation.

Several passengers described rowdy behavior by some in the Outlaws’ party as they began the return trip after a 41-20 loss to the Houston Gamblers on Sunday.

The fighting began, eyewitnesses said, after Teerlinck and Hickman had started riding each other about the game.