Washington Says Neuheisel Firing Is Final

The University of Washington said Monday night that former football coach Rick Neuheisel’s firing is final.

“The administrative process regarding Rick Neuheisel’s termination has been concluded,” a statement from the school said. “He has been terminated for cause as head football coach and is no longer employed by the University of Washington.”

Neuheisel’s lawyer, Bob Sulkin, said he, Neuheisel and Neuheisel’s wife met briefly Monday night with Norm Arkans, special assistant to Washington’s president, and were told the termination would not be rescinded.

Sulkin met earlier Monday with NCAA officials at Indianapolis.

“Rick’s a fighter,” Sulkin said when asked if Neuheisel would sue. He refused to discuss his next move in specifics, saying only, “He’s determined to fight this thing so that the truth comes out.”

Sulkin said Neuheisel would have no comment.

The university called a news conference for this morning to discuss the football program.

Washington Athletic Director Barbara Hedges announced June 12 she was firing Neuheisel, saying he broke NCAA rules against gambling by taking part in neighborhood pools on the last two NCAA basketball tournaments.

Neuheisel has maintained he didn’t know he was breaking the rules, saying a memo from the school’s compliance officer gave him permission to gamble with neighbors.

Hockey

Center Marc Chouinard signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild. He spent the last three seasons with the Mighty Ducks but was not given a qualifying offer by the team this summer.

Chouinard, 26, played in 70 games last season, scoring three goals. He played in 15 playoff games and scored a goal in the Ducks’ 3-2 overtime victory over New Jersey in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

The Kings signed defensemen Brad Norton and Maxim Kuznetsov to one-year contracts.

Norton, 28, had three goals and 97 penalty minutes in 53 games for the Kings last season.

Kuznetsov, 26, was scoreless in three games with the Kings last season after being acquired from Detroit as part of the trade that sent Mathieu Schneider to the Red Wings.

Kuznetsov had three assists and 54 penalty minutes in 53 games last season for the Red Wings.

Boston defenseman Jonathan Girard was recuperating at a hospital in Montreal, a day after having surgery for a fractured pelvis suffered in an automobile accident Thursday near his hometown of Rawdon, Canada.

Girard lost control of his car, which flipped. Two passengers in the car were injured but not as seriously.

Vancouver re-signed Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin each to one-year contracts worth $1.075 million.... Phoenix re-signed goaltender Zac Bierk to a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.... Free-agent right wing Paul Healey, who played 44 games with Toronto last season, agreed to undisclosed terms with the New York Rangers.... Washington re-signed left wing Matt Pettinger to a one-year contract.

College Basketball

A federal judge’s ruling overturned an NCAA rule prohibiting Division I teams from playing in more than two exempt tournaments in a four-year period.

The judge in Columbus, Ohio, said the NCAA’s restrictions violated federal antitrust laws, and he granted a group of tournament promoters and organizers a permanent injunction.

Spokesman Jeff Howard said the NCAA will review the ruling before making any decisions.

Tennis

Scott Draper defeated Todd Martin, 6-3, 6-4, in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at Washington.

Also advancing were twins Mike and Bob Bryan, Mike with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Andrew Carlson and Bob with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Amer Delic.

Jurisprudence

Paralympic athletes Scot Hollonbeck, Tony Iniguez and Jacob Heiveil filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Olympic Committee, claiming the organization gives better health insurance, grants, living expense stipends and opportunities to Olympic athletes and violates disabilities law.

Passings

Adrian Burk, among five quarterbacks to throw seven touchdown passes in a game and an official in two of the NFL’s most memorable games, died at Henderson, Texas. He was 75.

Burk threw seven touchdown passes for Philadelphia at Washington on Oct. 17, 1954.

He was part of the officiating crews for the Immaculate Reception playoff game between Pittsburgh and Oakland in 1972 and the longest playoff game ever between Kansas City and Miami on Christmas Day in 1971.