Riley Confirms Return as Heat’s Coach

Pat Riley decided against quitting on top.

He’d rather try to stay there another year.

Riley said Wednesday that he’d return as coach of the NBA champion Miami Heat, ending speculation he might retire at 61.

“Winning the championship showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, with the right people,” Riley said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Riley, also the team’s president, returned as coach Dec. 12 when Stan Van Gundy resigned. Miami went 41-20 en route to his fifth coaching title and the first in Heat history.

TENNIS

Agassi’s Road Tough

in Final U.S. Open

If Andre Agassi is going to make an extended run at his final U.S. Open, he has his work cut out for him.

The retiring Agassi’s draw includes a potential second-round match against eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis and a possible fourth-round match against ninth-seeded Andy Roddick. Agassi, 36, faces Andrei Pavel in the first round.

Another past champion and No. 1 player who’s unseeded this year, Serena Williams, also received a rough draw after falling out of the top 100 because of a knee injury.

Her possible second-round opponent is No. 17 Daniela Hantuchova, who ousted Williams from the Australian Open. And should Williams reach the fourth round, her opponent could be No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion.

Williams’ sister, Venus, is on the opposite half of the draw as the 30th-seeded player and appears to be in an easier quarter.

Fourth-seeded Nadia Petrova lost, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), to Marion Bartoli, and Lindsay Davenport beat Francesca Schiavone, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Conn.

In men’s play, second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko ousted Paradorn Srichaphan, 6-4, 6-1.

JURISPRUDENCE

Baxter Gets Two Months

in Jail in Gun Incident

Former NBA player Lonny Baxter was sentenced in Washington to two months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of carrying a gun a few blocks from the White House on Aug. 16.

He was sentenced to nine months in jail with all but 60 days suspended. Baxter, 27, also was fined $2,000, plus court costs, and put on probation for 18 months.

Sentencing for a felony charge in the incident, which allegedly involved shots being fired from a vehicle, was deferred until August 2007 under a plea deal.

A judge refused to let Ohio football Coach Frank Solich withdraw his no-contest plea to a November drunk driving charge in Athens, Ohio, finding that there was ample evidence to support the offense.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Two Iowa Starters

Suspended for Opener

Iowa defensive end Kenny Iwebema and receiver Herb Grigsby were suspended for the Hawkeyes’ Sept. 2 opener against Montana for violating team policy.

Senior Brett Ratliff will start at quarterback for Utah in the Utes’ Sept. 2 opener at UCLA, beating out transfer Tommy Grady.

Offensive line coach Pete Hurt will be reinstated at Air Force next week following his suspension for striking a player during practice Aug. 9, Athletic Director Hans Mueh said.

MISCELLANY

FIFA Threatens

to Ban Italian Teams

FIFA could ban World Cup champion Italy and all Italian clubs from international competition if Juventus challenges in state court the sanctions it received in the country’s match-fixing scandal, FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said.

A ruling on July 14 stripped Juventus of its last two Serie A titles and relegated the team to the second division.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said there are no plans for drug testing, especially without evidence of usage.

FSN Prime Ticket and the CIF Southern Section reached agreement on a three-year contract that will give the cable network exclusive rights to televise as many as 25 high school athletic events each year and lead to individual high schools’ receiving financial compensation for the first time for appearing on regular-season telecasts.

John Costello, the director of marketing for the Southern Section, said football teams that appear this fall on FSN’s game of the week will receive between $1,500 and $2,000.

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-- Eric Sondheimer