Red Wings Sign Scotty Bowman to Coach for Two More Years

Scotty Bowman signed a contract to coach the Detroit Red Wings for two more years, and senior vice president Jimmy Devellano will bow out of day-to-day team operations, the team announced Friday.

The Red Wings also will have their first general manager since 1994 in Ken Holland, who will be promoted from assistant general manager. Holland will report directly to owner Mike Ilitch and will have the final say on personnel matters.

Bowman, 63, who led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years last season, reportedly will be paid $1 million per season. Under Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history with 1,013 regular-season wins, the Red Wings are 179-80-37 the last four seasons.

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Dave Peterson, former U.S. Olympic hockey coach, died Thursday night at his home in Colorado Springs of post-operative complications after heart bypass surgery. He was 66. Peterson was coach of the Olympic teams in 1988 and 1992. He also coached three U.S. national teams (1985, 1986 and 1987), two U.S. national junior teams (1986 and 1987) and one U.S. select team (1987).

Pro Football

Michael Irvin, who had considered retirement, ended such speculation by reporting to the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in Austin, Texas. Irvin, who was suspended five games last year by the NFL because of drug possession, recently said, “I have lost my love for the game.”

However, after attending a hearing in Dallas on another legal matter, Irvin reported to camp and will be ready for today’s first practice. A few hours earlier, a judge ordered him to give a deposition Sept. 9 in his defamation-of-character suit against a TV station.

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The Washington Redskins signed quarterback Gus Frerotte to a four-year contract worth $18 million. The deal includes a $5-million signing bonus.

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Buffalo Bill defensive end Bruce Smith, sitting out of training camp in a contract dispute, is being fined $5,000 for each day he misses. Smith is unhappy about a contract scheduled to pay him $2.2 million this year. He turned down a five-year, $22-million package that the Bills say is their final offer.

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Erric Pegram, the San Diego Chargers’ newly acquired tailback, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove loose cartilage that was detected during an MRI exam Friday, the first day of training camp. Pegram is expected to be out two to three weeks.

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The Miami Dolphins’ first-round draft pick, wide receiver Yatil Green, will be sidelined the entire season because of a knee injury. Green was hurt in a workout Thursday. Special team standout Larry Izzo tore his left Achilles’ tendon during practice and he also will be out for the season. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals reached an agreement with top draft choice Reinard Wilson, a defensive end from Florida State, on a five-year contract. . . . The Tennessee Oilers signed defensive end Kenny Holmes, their first-round pick from Miami.

Tennis

Top-seeded Michael Chang, who struggled in his first two matches at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington, breezed to a 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over seventh-seeded Scott Draper. Second-seeded Peter Korda vomited midway through the third set against doubles partner Thomas Haas, but still won, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Top-seeded Monica Seles rallied to defeat Mirjana Lucic of Germany, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0, in a quarterfinal match in the A&P; Tennis Classic at Mahwah, N.J. . . . Spain’s Albert Costa upset second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

Auto Racing

Joe Nemechek put his Chevrolet on the pole for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 Winston Cup race at Pocono Raceway with a record qualifying lap of 168.881 mph. . . . Michael Andretti, who has won five of the last seven PPG CART street races in Toronto, posted the fastest lap of 104.289 mph in the first day of qualifying for the Molson Indy. . . . Cory McClenathan, Tony Pedregon and Jim Yates led after the first day of qualifying for the Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals at Morrison, Colo. . . . Ron Hornaday, who has led every lap of the past two NASCAR Craftsman Truck series short-track events, won the pole for the Colorado 250 at 77.537 mph.

Track and Field

Carl Lewis says the last race of his competitive career will be a relay with longtime mates Leroy Burrell, Mike Marsh and Floyd Heard in conjunction with the Pitt-Houston football game Sept. 13 at Houston.

Seilala Sua, a freshman at UCLA, and Angela Williams, a junior at Chino High, set meet records on the opening day of the Pan American junior track and field championships in Havana. Sua won the discus with a toss of 189 feet 11 inches, breaking the old mark of 181-1, set by Maritza Marten of Cuba in 1981. Williams broke the meet record twice in the 100 meters. In the heats, she ran 11.40 to best the mark of 11.52 set by Sabrina Kelly of the United States in 1991. Running the final into a stiff wind, she edged teammate Aleisha Latimer, 11.34 to 11.39.

Names in the News

The Charlotte Hornets hired Paul Silas as an assistant coach to Dave Cowens. They played together on Boston’s 1974 and 1976 NBA championship teams. . . . Julius Erving has been voted the ABA’s all-time most valuable player and was among seven players unanimously voted to the all-time team. The others were Mel Daniels and the late Roger Brown of the Pacers, George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs and Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel and Louie Dampier of the Kentucky Colonels. . . . Virginia basketball standout Courtney Alexander was arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend at the couple’s Charlottesville apartment. . . . The Ray Mercer-Andrew Golota heavyweight bout Aug. 16 has been called off because Mercer has a neck injury that will require surgery.