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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2007
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Mark Turgeon tours Texas A&M Wichita State coach may take Gillispie's place, spokesman denies deal
COLLEGE STATION, Texas Texas A&M has Mark Turgeon atop its list to replace Billy Gillspie after the Wichita State coach visited the campus on Monday, according to several published reports.
Turgeon toured the Texas A&M campus with athletic director Bill Byrne, who scrambled to begin a coaching search last week after Gillispie turned down a raise to take over Kentucky.
Turgeon, 42, has been at Wichita State for seven seasons, leading the Shockers to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament in 2006.
The scoreboard inside Reed Arena at Texas A&M on Monday flashed
"Welcome to Aggieland Mark and Ann Turgeon," according to the Bryan-College Station Eagle and the San Antonio Express-News.
Texas A&M spokesman Colin Killantold The Associated Press that contrary to published reports, he was not aware that a deal for a new coach was in place.
The Houston Chronicle, citi ing three people
Wichita State senior Matt Braeur
with Turgeon and that an official announcement could come as early as Tuesday.
"No coaches have told us anything. (But) from a few other sources, from what I've heard, it's a done deal."
MATT BRAEUR
Wichita State senior
told The Wichita Eagle that he and teammates are under the impression that Turgeon is leaving.
with knowledge of the deal, said the school had reached an agreement
"That's basically what I've heard," Braueer said. "No coaches have told us anything." (But) from a few other
sources, from what I've heard, it's a done deal."
The newspaper said a team meeting had been called for late Monday.
Turgeon is 128-90 since arriving at Wichita State in 1999. The Shockers finished 17-14 and sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference this past season. Turgeon also has served as an assistant coach at Kansas under Larry Brown and Roy Williams.
Texas A&M is hoping to land a coach who can deliver the same impact as Gillispie, who turned Texas A&M into a Big 12 basketball power in just three seasons. He went 70-26 with a team that was 7-21 the season before he arrived, including 0-16 in the conference play.
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Gillispie was offered a new contract and raise to stay with the Aggies, but turned it down to replace Tubby Smith at Kentucky.
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U. S. OPEN
Johnson follows in footsteps of Fleck
BYDOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Ga. — One was the greatest major champion of his era. The other was an unproven pro from Iowa.
This wasn't Sunday at Augusta National. It was 1955 at The Olympic Club. In both cases, the feeling was it would be no contest.
In one of the most stunning upsets at a major, Fleck made birdie on the final hole at the U.S. Open to force an 18-hole playoff with Hogan, who already had won four U.S. Opens among his nine majors and was perhaps the most feared player in golf.
"Most of them all thought Bern Hogan would be tough to beat," Jack Fleck said Sunday night. "No doubt about it."
Fleck wasn't the biggest hitter, but he was straight. He wasn't a great putter, but he could hit irons as if they were lasers. He didn't do anything fancy that Monday, but he came up with the right shots and let Hogan self-destruct in the rough. Fleck wound up shooting a 69 to win by three shots.
Fleck only won two more times on the PGA Tour the rest of his career. Much more is expected of Johnson, who was the Nationwide Tour player of the year in 2003 and already has played on one Ryder Cup team.
He is 85 now, living in Fort Smith, Ark., writing books and watching plenty of golf. You can be sure he was glued to his television set when Zach Johnson, a 31-year-old from Iowa, played Tiger Woods on the back nine to capture the Masters.
Woods was going after his third consecutive major, and he started the final round in the last group.
only one shot behind Stuart Appleby. Johnson's only PGA Tour victory had come three years ago at the BellSouth Classic.
"It looked like you could bet your money Tiger would win." Fleck said. "Who thought Zach would win?"
And when Johnson three-putted for bogey from the front of the fifth green, Woods took the lead for the first time in the tournament, even thought it only lasted about 20 minutes. Still, Woods never loses when he's in front Sunday at a major.
"Tiger has an amazing record in the majors,'s said Vaughn Taylor, who played with Johnson. "It's nice to see him give one up."
Johnson is not the longest hitter on an Augusta National course where only the guys who hit it a mile are supposed to win. He was 57th in driving distance out of the 60 players who made the cut. He gets by mainly on smarts, good iron play and putting.
Fleck doesn't like to compare Hogan with Woods because of course conditions and equipment. But there is no doubting the mystique.
Someone asked Taylor if Woods were Superman, what would that make Johnson?
He was two shots back and just another name who figured to get run over.
"Superman's brother," he said.
NFL
Johnson wouldn't buy into that.
"I'm Zach Johnson, and I'm from Cedar Rapids, Iowa," he said. "That's about it. I'm a normal guy."
Denver, Shanahan sign up for three more years
Sounds a lot like Fleck. Two normal guys from Iowa who played their game. One was good enough to beat Ben Hogan at the U.S. Open. The other was good enough to beat Tiger Woods at the Masters.
DENVER — Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him in Denver through the 2011 season.
His victory total with Denver is 11th-best by one coach with one team in NFL history.
Shanahan, 54, led Denver to Super Bowl victories in 1997 and 1998. Since becoming head coach in January 1995, he has led the Broncos to nine playoff appearances and a 123-69 regular season record.
Shanahan was head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders from 1988-89. He has spent 20 years with Denver, joining the team in 1984 and also has served as wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Associated Press
RECORD BREAKING Slovenian swims length of Amazon, goes to hospital
SAO PAULO, Brazil - A 52-year-old man who swam the 3,272-mile length of the Amazon River was released from the hospital Monday and recovering from health problems brought on by the 65-day swim, his son said.
Slovenian Martin Strel was hospitalized with high blood pressure and dizziness on Sunday immediately after completing the swim.
"He still hasn't completely recovered, of course. That's going to take some time," said his son and project coordinator, Borut Strel. "But he is better now."
Martin Streel reportedly lost 26 pounds during the swim.
If confirmed by Guinness World Records, it will be the fourth time he has broken a distance swimming record.
Associated Press
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