Saints hire Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator

New Orleans Coach Sean Payton on Saturday announced the hiring of Rob Ryan as New Orleans’ new defensive coordinator.

Ryan, the brother of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan, spent the past two seasons as Dallas’ defensive coordinator. He was fired after last season, when his defense ranked 19th.

In 2010, Ryan was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator when the Browns beat the Saints in the Superdome, 30-17, intercepting passes by Drew Brees four times.

Now the 50-year-old Ryan takes his fourth defensive coordinator job since 2004 while becoming Payton’s fourth defensive coordinator since 2006.

ETC.: Mediate’s 61 leads at Boca Raton

Rocco Mediate shot an 11-under 61, setting a course record and building a three-shot lead over Tom Pernice Jr. heading into the final round of the Allianz Championship at Boca Raton, Fla. Mediate, shooting the lowest round of his career, had five consecutive birdies on the front nine, highlighted by a drive to the green at the par-four seventh hole. Mediate’s 61 snapped the tournament record of 63 set by Craig Stadler in 2007. Mediate’s total of 128 through two rounds was three better than the 36-hole mark of 131 shared by Tim Simpson and Tommy Armour III.

South Africa’s Richard Sterne and Trevor Fisher Jr. each shot a four-under 68 to move five shots ahead of the field at the Joburg Open with a 19-under total of 196 at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club.

Boston Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington says outfield prospect Bryce Brentz accidentally shot himself in the leg when he was cleaning a gun last month, but the 24-year-old could recover in time to play in spring training.

Joe Gibbs Racing said Darrell Wallace Jr. will drive in NASCAR’s truck series this year, making the 19-year-old only the fourth black driver to race full time in one of NASCAR’s three national series. After winning six times in a NASCAR minor league series, the K&N; Pro Series East, Wallace drew added attention last year when he finished in the top 10 in three of the four Nationwide Series races he entered.

Top-seeded Marin Cilic will face Jurgen Melzer in the indoor final Sunday at Zagreb, Croatia. Cilic rallied past defending champion Mikhail Youzhny, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Melzer defeated Robin Haase, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

At Rimini, Italy, Varvara Lepchenko won Fed Cup singles debut to lift the United States to a 1-1 tie with Italy. Lepchenko rallied past Roberta Vinci, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, after Sara Errani defeated Jamie Hampton, 6-2, 6-1.

Tom Sermanni won his debut as coach of the U.S. women’s soccer team, beating Scotland, 4-1, with Christen Press scoring two first-half goals at Jacksonville, Fla.

At Schladming, Austria, Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the men’s downhill title at the Alpine skiing world championships. He finished in 2 minutes 1.32 seconds to win by nearly half a second.

Armin Zoggeler earned his 55th title in World Cup luge, leading an Italian sweep of the men’s event at Lake Placid, N.Y. Later, Germany remained unbeaten and clinched the overall title in the team relay event. No American man finished higher than fifth though they had career-best performances.

The Atlanta Hawks say they are optimistic guard Lou Williams will be ready for training camp after reconstructive surgery on his right knee.

Edgar Douglas “Doug” Kenna II, the quarterback of West Point’s 1944 undefeated national championship team and former president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, has died. He was 88.