Garrard, Jaguars iron out seven-year, $60-million deal

Quarterback David Garrard signed a seven-year, $60-million contract Monday with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the richest in franchise history.

“I pretty much had to say, ‘Let’s go ahead and wrap it up. I’m done,’ ” Garrard said. “It’s too much stress on me and my family. My wife was done five weeks ago. She’s already been on board with everything. We just kept working on it and I finally just said, ‘You know what, I’d rather be happy now, have the city happy now, have the team, the organization, the owner happy now than trying to string something out having everybody on edge.’ ”

Garrard had been seeking something similar to the six-year, $67.5-million contract Dallas quarterback Tony Romo signed last season.

A career backup who beat out Byron Leftwich last exhibition season, Garrard was headed for the final year of a four-year deal that paid about $2 million annually.

Garrard, 30, completed 64% of his passes for 2,509 yards and 18 touchdowns despite sitting out three games because of an ankle injury. He threw only three interceptions and finished with the NFL’s third-highest passer rating (102.2).

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Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher might sit out the team’s voluntary off-season workouts while he seeks a contract extension.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Urlacher did not plan to participate in Monday’s workout and perhaps the rest of the workouts, which include organized team activities. The Bears would not say whether Urlacher participated Monday, and the workouts are closed to the media.

Urlacher has a contract that runs through 2011. He made $3.95 million last season and is slated to make the same amount this season.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UCLA’s Howland loses out on bonus

UCLA Coach Ben Howland lost more than a game when the Bruins failed to make Monday night’s NCAA championship game.

According to a contract extension he signed in 2006, Howland stood to receive a $100,000 bonus if his team had won the national title.

On the brighter side, the Bruins’ undisputed Pacific 10 Conference title triggered a $25,000 bonus and their trip to the Final Four added $50,000 more to his guaranteed base salary of $1.5 million for the 2007-08 season.

Howland can make additional bonuses related to team graduation rates.

-- David Wharton

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Indiana freshman Eric Gordon is entering the NBA draft.

Eric Gordon Sr. said his son intended to sign with an agent, which would officially end his college eligibility.

The 6-foot-4 guard is projected as a top-10 pick in the June draft.

Gordon, a third-team All-American, led the Big Ten Conference in scoring (20.9 points), set school and Big Ten freshman scoring records with 669 points and made the third most free throws by a Hoosier in a season (231).

He also tied Mike Woodson’s school record for most 30-point games by a freshman (three) and was selected the conference’s freshman player of the year.

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Craig Robinson, who coached the last two seasons at Brown and gained attention as Barack Obama’s brother-in-law, was selected as men’s coach at Oregon State.

The Beavers finished 6-25 this season, becoming the first team to go winless in the Pac-10’s regular season since the league expanded from eight teams in 1978. Oregon State fired coach Jay John on Jan. 21 and assistant Kevin Mouton was interim coach the rest of the season.

Robinson was 30-28 in two seasons at Brown.

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Oklahoma State will pay Sean Sutton $2.7 million over 10 years as part of a settlement reached between the university and the former coach who resigned under pressure last week. Oklahoma State will pay Sutton $300,000 immediately and the remaining $2.4 million during the next 10 years at $20,000 per month, starting July 1.

Sutton will receive the money even if he accepts another coaching position.

Sutton had a 39-29 record in his two seasons as the Cowboys’ coach.

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Xavier point guard Drew Lavender was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana.

Police said they arrested Lavender, 23, early Sunday morning after they searched him and found marijuana on him. He was released Sunday after posting $2,000 bond.

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Georgia Tech women’s Coach MaChelle Joseph agreed to a new four-year, $1.3-million contract after guiding the Yellow Jackets to a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.

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Heidi VanDerveer, associate head women’s coach at San Diego State, has been hired as women’s coach at Occidental College. She is the sister of Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer. .

-- Dan Arritt

TENNIS

Mauresmo prevails in first-round match

Amelie Mauresmo, seeded 11th, capped a perfect day for seeded players by defeating Olga Savchuk, 6-0, 7-5, in the first round of the Bausch & Lamb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla.

After Mauresmo breezed through the first set, Savchuk failed to deliver on two set points serving with a 5-4 lead in the second set, then foot-faulted on a break point to even the set, 5-5.