DiNardo Gets Fired at Louisiana State

Gerry DiNardo, whose Louisiana State team had lost a school-record eight consecutive games and was winless in the Southeastern Conference, was fired as coach of the Tigers.

Assistant Hal Hunter will coach the final game against Arkansas.

LSU chancellor Mark Emmert said DiNardo will be paid for the final four years of his contract, reportedly worth $585,000 a year.

DiNardo, hired in 1995, had a 26-9-1 record his first three years, winning three bowl games and winning co-championships in the SEC West in 1996 and 1997. But the Tigers, expected by many to win the SEC West in 1998, slid to 4-7, and are 2-8 this season, losing 14 of their last 15 SEC games.

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Virginia Tech moved into second place in the bowl championship series rankings, behind Florida State and ahead of surging Nebraska.

A week ago, Tennessee pulled in front of Virginia Tech and into second place even though the Hokies were undefeated and the Volunteers had a loss.

But Arkansas upset the Volunteers on Saturday, and Virginia Tech (9-0) is 3.66 points behind behind Florida State (10-0). Nebraska (9-1) jumped from sixth to third place and trails the Hokies by 2.4 points.

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Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., will try again today to give Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez a new knee after unsuccessful efforts last spring to smooth burrs on the bones, said a Wisconsin spokesman. . . . Former Auburn All-American Jimmy Sidle, the first quarterback to lead the nation in rushing, died Sunday in a Montgomery, Ala., hospital at 57. He reportedly had suffered from heart problems.