Calling the Job ‘a Lot Harder,’ Kansas Athletic Director Resigns

Kansas Athletic Director Bob Frederick, who hired men’s basketball Coach Roy Williams and then kept him from leaving for North Carolina last season, resigned Thursday.

Frederick, 61, said he was leaving after 14 years as the Jayhawks’ athletic director because the job has “gotten a lot harder in the last few years.”

“Sports-talk shows, the Internet, chat rooms--all those things have made it more difficult for head coaches and ADs and even for chancellors,” Frederick said.

Frederick, a widely respected college administrator, ran into mounting criticism with the elimination of men’s tennis and swimming.

Except for the basketball program, most Kansas teams have fallen on hard times. The football team has not had a winning season since 1995.

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The NCAA’s board of directors postponed votes on legislation regarding exempt basketball tournaments--such as the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic and the Preseason NIT--as well three other proposals focusing on amateurism.

One piece of legislation was approved by the board, which consists of university presidents. Currently enrolled student-athletes would be allowed to accept Operation Gold money for top-three finishes in such events as the Olympics.

The most controversial piece of legislation had to do with the exempt events. Teams now play 28 games and participation in exempt tournaments counts as one game, even if a team plays two, three or four games. What was proposed was a 29-game schedule. But each game played in an exempt tournament would count as a game against the limit. Coaches disliked the legislation, and tournament promoters felt the move would put them out of business.

The board requested a study and report from several groups, including the men’s basketball committee, and said it will make a final decision no later than January 2004.

Pro Football

The San Francisco 49ers signed defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield, a free agent released by the Washington Redskins last month, to a six-year deal. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Stubblefield spent five seasons with the 49ers before leaving for Washington in 1998. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and 1997’s defensive player of the year, Stubblefield has 393 tackles, 46.5 sacks, 15 passes defended and two interceptions over an eight-year career.

The Pittsburgh Steelers extended Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala’s contract for the next three seasons. Last week, the Steelers retained their rights to Fuamatu-Ma’afala for the 2001 season by matching the New England Patriots’ $700,000 tender offer to the restricted free-agent running back. The Steelers also signed three-year cornerback and special teams player Jason Simmons to a one-year tender offer, and waived receiver Jason Peace.

The Detroit Lions signed unrestricted free-agent tight end Pete Mitchell to a one-year contract. Mitchell’s deal is worth $490,000, with a $225,000 signing bonus. . . . Offensive lineman Frank Garcia, who spent the last six years with the Carolina Panthers, was signed by the St. Louis Rams. . . . The Chicago Bears released seven-year veteran defensive tackle Jim Flanigan. . . . Cornerback Antonio Langham was released by the Patriots.

Soccer

Scotland captain Colin Hendry was banned for six games by FIFA for elbowing a San Marino player in the throat during a World Cup qualifying game last month. The ban almost certainly means the end of the 35-year-old defender’s international career, unless the Scottish Football Assn. wins an appeal against the ruling.

United Arab Emirates defeated India, 1-0, in an Asian Group 8 World Cup qualifying match at Al Ain, moving atop the group standings.

Miscellany

Seventh-seeded Thomas Enqvist defeated Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev, 7-6 (6), 7-5, to make it to the quarterfinals of the Seat Godo Open at Barcelona, Spain. Spaniard Alex Corretja reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994 by beating Chilean Nicola Massu, 6-4, 6-3. Carlos Moya of Spain, who has reached the Godo semifinals four times but never played in a final, breezed to victory over Frenchman Arnaud Clement, 7-5, 6-2.

Andy Roddick had seven aces and won his first 16 points on serve in beating second-seeded Todd Martin, 7-5, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Verizon Tennis Challenge at Duluth, Ga. Martin’s loss means the top five seeds have been eliminated from the tournament.

Matt Komer had 22 kills and UCLA took a major step toward defense of its NCAA volleyball championship by defeating Long Beach State, 27-30, 30-25, 30-24, 23-30, 15-7, in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinals at Provo, Utah.

Adam Naeve had 12 kills but three came in the decisive fifth game. Komer and Mark Williams had two kills, while Long Beach (18-7) had only five kills as a team in the fifth game.

Setter Rich Nelson had 50 assists for the Bruins (22-7), who play Hawaii in the MPSF final Saturday. Hawaii defeated No. 1 Brigham Young, 30-26, 25-30, 30-27, 30-24.

Saturday’s winner earns an automatic berth into the NCAA semifinals May 3 at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

Arizona won its second consecutive Pacific 10 Conference women’s golf championship at Tempe, Ariz. Arizona’s Lorena Ochoa birdied the second playoff hole to win the individual crown.

De Sagana Diop, the 7-foot center for unbeaten national high school champion Oak Hill Academy (Va.), announced he will make himself eligible for the NBA draft. So did Joe Johnson, who led Arkansas in scoring as a sophomore last season.