Detroit Lions hire Jim Caldwell as head coach

The Detroit Lions wanted to replace Jim Schwartz with someone with experience as a head coach.

The Lions landed someone, though he appears to be Plan B.

The team said Tuesday that Jim Caldwell has been hired as the new coach and will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday. San Diego Chargers assistant and former Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt was seemingly Detroit’s top choice, but he chose to take the head coaching job at Tennessee on Monday night.

The Lions are giving Caldwell another chance to be an NFL head coach. He helped the Indianapolis Colts reach the Super Bowl after his debut season in 2009 but was fired two years later after a 2-14 season while quarterback Peyton Manning was injured, dropping his three-year mark to 26-22.

The San Diego Chargers promoted quarterbacks coach Frank Reich to offensive coordinator.

He replaces Whisenhunt.

In his first season on San Diego’s staff, Reich helped tutor Philip Rivers to a record-breaking season. Rivers completed a team-record, career-best and NFL-leading 69.5% of his passes (378 of 544), good for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Reich was drafted in the third round by Buffalo in 1985 and played 14 NFL seasons.

COLLEGES

Two more to leave Stanford

Free safety Ed Reynolds and right tackle Cameron Fleming are the latest Stanford players to announce they are forgoing their final year of eligibility to make themselves available for the NFL draft.

Reynolds ranked third at Stanford with 87 tackles and also had one interception last season to earn Pac-12 Conference first-team honors for the second straight year. Quarterbacks often threw away from Reynolds after he led the Cardinal with six interceptions in 2012.

Reynolds said he will re-enroll at Stanford for the spring quarter and return again in the off-season to complete his bachelor’s degree in political science.

The 6-foot-6, 318-pound Fleming started on the right side of Stanford’s stout offensive line the last three seasons. He’s graduating with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics this spring.

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Georgia Coach Mark Richt moved quickly to choose a new defensive coordinator, hiring Jeremy Pruitt from Florida State, only two days after losing Todd Grantham to Louisville.

Under Pruitt, undefeated Florida State led the nation in scoring defense, giving up 12.1 points per game, and ranked third in total defense while winning the national championship.

ETC.

Shiffrin of U.S. wins slalom

American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin cemented her status as the best slalom skier in the women’s World Cup, winning a night race at Flachau, Austria, only 38 days before the same event at the Sochi Olympics.

Shiffrin held on to a commanding 0.90-second first-run lead to earn her third victory this season and seventh overall.

The 18-year-old racer from Colorado overcame two mistakes in her final run to finish in a combined time of 1 minute 45.83 seconds and beat Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 0.83. Another Swede, Maria Pietilae-Holmner, was 1.14 back in third.

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Chris Paul of the Clippers has been chosen 2013 sportsman of the year by the Los Angeles Sports Council. He will be honored at the L.A. Sports Awards on March 5 at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

Hank Aaron, Joe Morgan, Bobby Grich and Bruce Bochy are among those who will be honored at the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation “In the Spirit of the Game” event Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Tickets and information: (818) 224-3906.

Baseball Scouts Foundation “In the Spirit of the Game” event Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Tickets and information: (818) 224-3906.