Bulls Sign Jackson for One Year

Phil Jackson agreed Wednesday to coach the Chicago Bulls for one last season for $6 million, clearing the way for the re-signing of Michael Jordan, who threatened to leave if Jackson wasn’t back on the job.

Jordan effectively strong-armed owner Jerry Reinsdorf with the warning. Several times down the stretch run to the Bulls’ fifth championship, Jordan said he had no interest in breaking in a new coach or being part of a rebuilding program.

“I want to emphasize this will be his last year,” General Manager Jerry Krause said of Jackson.

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Johnny Taylor, a rookie forward from Tennessee Chattanooga who was the 17th pick in last month’s NBA draft, signed a three-year contract with the Orlando Magic. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Magic also re-signed forward Amal McCaskill. . . . Forward Carlos Rogers, a free agent, re-signed with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors for a reported $2 million a season. . . . Former Washington State guard Isaac Fontaine, passed over in the NBA draft, has signed a one-year contract to play in Italy’s top league. . . . Rod Higgins has been named an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.

Jurisprudence

Olympic organizer Thomas Welch faces a charge of domestic battery and a possible challenge to his 2002 Winter Games leadership upon his return to Utah from an African safari.

Welch, president and chief executive officer of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, is expected to return Friday.

The charge stems from a confrontation after the 52-year-old Welch admitted to his wife, Alma, that he was having an affair. The couple’s 11-year-old son called police on July 9 while his parents scuffled in the garage, authorities said.

Businessman John Spano returned to Long Island from a Cayman Islands vacation to face fraud charges stemming from his failed attempt to buy the NHL New York Islanders.

Spano was arraigned on charges of wire fraud and bank fraud in U.S. District Court in Uniondale and was ordered released on his own recognizance pending the posting of a $3-million bond.

If convicted on all counts, Spano faces up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Marathoner Pablo Sierra was suspended by the Spanish federation for six months after accusing his teammates, including world champion Martin Fiz, of using banned drugs.

Miscellany

In the latest round of track takeovers, Penske and International Speedway Corp. each paid $11.8 million cash for 40% ownership of a group formed to operate the 344-acre Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex 25 miles south of downtown Miami.

Founder Ralph Sanchez and partner H. Wayne Huizenga will each keep a 10% interest.

Carl Lewis, winner of nine Olympic gold medals and a record eight world championship golds, will run his last competitive race Aug. 26 at Berlin, a 400-meter relay with Santa Monica Track Club teammates Leroy Burrell, Mike Marsh and Floyd Heard.

Marie-Jose Perec, winner of the 200- and 400-meter races at the 1996 Olympics, has changed her mind and will run in next month’s world championships at Athens. After suffering a stress fracture of her foot early in the season, Perec said last month she would skip the world championships.

New York Ranger captain Mark Messier, an unrestricted free agent, is considering a three-year, $18-million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, according to published reports.

Louisville’s women’s volleyball coach, Leonid Yelin, was suspended without pay and an assistant, Mitzy Donhoff, was fired for NCAA violations that university President John Shumaker called the worst in school history.

Denver Bronco General Manager John Beake escaped serious injury after wrecking his car while driving to the team’s training camp in Greeley, Colo. Beake apparently fell asleep behind the wheel of his 1997 BMW at about 1:45 a.m., lost control and drove off U.S. 85 four miles north of Fort Lupton, the Colorado State Patrol reported. He was ticketed for careless driving.

The Las Vegas Bowl has dropped its affiliation with the Big West and Mid-American conferences and will feature a team from the Western Athletic Conference against an at-large school from another major conference.

Partizan Belgrade beat Croatia Zagreb, 1-0, in the first official soccer match between Serbian and Croatian clubs since war in Yugoslavia broke out in 1991.

French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten and defending champion Alberto Berasategui lost in the second round of the $535,000 Generali Open at Kitzbuehel, Austria.