March Hearing Set for Colts’ Muhammad

Steve Muhammad of the Indianapolis Colts faces a March 21 hearing in connection with charges he beat his pregnant wife days before she died of labor complications. The rookie defensive back and his lawyer, Jim Voyles Jr., refused comment after an Indianapolis judge set the date for the second pretrial hearing.

Muhammad is free on $30,000 bail and has been playing for the Colts after missing three games in the weeks after his wife’s death. The team has repeatedly refused to comment.

Muhammad is barred from having contact with his wife’s 6-year-old son, Eric. Nichole Muhammad died Nov. 7 after injuries from a car accident forced her into premature labor and the couple’s baby was stillborn. Muhammad had been arrested 10 days earlier on three misdemeanor domestic battery charges. Prosecutor Scott Newman decided last month to pursue charges against Muhammad, even though his wife did not die from a beating.

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Washington Redskin owner Dan Snyder made it official: Coach Norv Turner will be back for the 2000 season.

“Norv is staying as coach,” said Karl Swanson, a spokesman for Snyder.

Snyder and Turner discussed the coach’s future over lunch, their first chance to talk privately in person since the Redskins (9-6) clinched the NFC East title with a 26-20 overtime road victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.

“They reaffirmed that both of them want Norv Turner staying as coach,” Swanson said.

Turner denied reports that he had been ready to quit.

“Anyone that thinks I would resign doesn’t know me very well,” Turner was quoted as saying late Tuesday on the Washington Post’s Web site. “When I came here, I came here with the idea of winning a Super Bowl. That hasn’t changed.”

Before the season, Snyder said he would fire Turner if the Redskins failed to make the playoffs, then later indicated that the team would have to “dominate” the playoffs for Turner to be assured of keeping the job.