Holmgren says he will return for final season with Seahawks

Mike Holmgren will return for a final season as coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

The 59-year-old veteran of 16 seasons as an NFL head coach announced his decision Tuesday to fulfill the final year of his contract, after spending the weekend with his wife at their off-season Arizona home.

“Kathy and I came to this decision to finish my contract,” said Holmgren, who had hinted at retirement for weeks. “This will be my last year. We are going to make it the best year ever. And then probably after that, I will take a little time off -- but not yet. We are going to go after it hard.”

The Seahawks have a likely heir to Holmgren in place in Jim Mora. Soon after Mora was fired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on New Year’s Day, 2007, Holmgren added him to the staff as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

Mora, 46, led Atlanta for three seasons and went to the NFC championship game in his first season there.

Former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell is expected to be hired this week by the Miami Dolphins as wide receivers coach, the Miami Herald reported on its website.

Dorrell coached wide receivers for the Denver Broncos before becoming UCLA’s head coach in 2003. The Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs reportedly have expressed interest in hiring Dorrell as an assistant.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones plans to pay Terrell Owens’ $3-million roster bonus, which means the All-Pro wide receiver will be back for the final season of his three-year, $25 million contract.

Jones also said a contract extension for Owens is something he would consider “down the line.”

Jim Fassel has become a top candidate for the Washington Redskins coaching job after a third interview with owner Dan Snyder.

The former New York Giants coach met with Snyder on Monday, according to a person familiar with the selection process. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Redskins haven’t publicly stated the names of any candidates.

The person said Fassel is also the previously unidentified candidate who interviewed with the owner Jan. 11 and 12.

Coach Jon Gruden was rewarded for Tampa Bay’s worst-to-first turnaround in the NFC South with a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2011 season.

Gruden, who had one year left on a contract that was extended after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl five seasons ago, earned about $4.3 million in 2007.

General Manager Bruce Allen also was given a three-year extension.

Former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Rien Long was in critical condition after he crashed his sports car into a rock wall while driving onto an interstate.

Nashville police said Long, 26, was driving too fast down an on-ramp to Interstate 40 near downtown just before midnight Monday.

His 2005 Ford Mustang started sliding at the bottom of the ramp, went up the embankment and hit a rock wall on the driver’s side before rolling over onto the roof.

A passenger, 28-year-old Wesley Stephens, was treated for non-critical injuries.

The NFL is citing the same jurisdictional grounds the Titans used to get out of a lawsuit filed by a man paralyzed in a shooting outside a Las Vegas strip club minutes after a melee involving suspended player Adam “Pacman” Jones.

Clark County District Court judge Jessie Walsh is scheduled to hear arguments Feb. 20 on the league’s claim that Nevada courts lack the reach to hold the league responsible in the wounding of Tommy Urbanski last February outside the Minxx Gentleman’s Club.

In documents filed Jan. 16, league lawyers point to Walsh’s Jan. 9 ruling releasing the Titans from the lawsuit filed.

Hall of Famer James Lofton was fired as the San Diego Chargers’ wide receivers coach. He had been with the Chargers six seasons and had one season remaining on his contract.

The team also fired running backs coach Matt Simon, who just finished his first year.

HOCKEY

Ratings up, Versus extends deal with NHL

Versus has picked up an option to televise NHL games for three more years. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

The cable network began televising NHL games during the 2005-06 season. It paid $65 million for the first year, $70 million for the second, and exercised a $72.5-million option for this season. Ratings for NHL games on Versus are up 34% this season.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins will be out six to eight weeks because of a high ankle sprain suffered Friday night against Tampa Bay.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired General Manager John Ferguson and replaced him with Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis.

MISCELLANY

Linn rejoins UCLA as strength coach

Mike Linn was named strength and conditioning coach at UCLA.

Linn, a 1993 UCLA graduate, was a three-year starter along the offensive line and a member of three bowl teams.

He has been vice president of performance for Velocity Sports Performance since 2006.

Mike Kelly retired after 27 years as football coach at Dayton. Kelly compiled a 246-54-1 record.