San Francisco Sports News

A gag from the Giants' first San Francisco-era title-winning season is back.

The senior out of Wisconsin will be the 49ers’ fourth quarterback.

John Diatte calls Kole Laubach his first grand player, given that the pitcher’s dad, Ryan, played for the longtime Valley Christian baseball coach three decades ago.

So it was only natural that the grand coach was emotional on Friday as the younger Laubach carried a perfect game into the final inning.

“I was getting a little teary-eyed,” said Diatte, who had never had a pitcher retire all 21 batters in his 35 years as the school’s coach. “When the second out happened, I was like, ‘Oh my Gosh.'”

Laubach’s heart sunk moments later when the final St. Ignatius batter hit a line drive. But second baseman Antonio Chavez, a freshman, was there to make the catch.

Twenty-one up, 21 down.

And not only that, the 3-0 victory on the road over St. Ignatius clinched a share of the West Catholic Athletic League championship for Valley Christian, which finished tied atop the standings with Serra.

“It was a great day,” Laubach said. “Absolutely crazy.”

For Laubach, the game continued his domination of WCAL competition. In four league games this season, he has a 0.00 ERA.

Friday, though, the junior was even better than the zeroes on the scoreboard.

“I knew today right when I stepped on the rubber in the bullpen I was feeling it,” he said. “Everything was working and I got out on the mound, I was just flowing. That was it.”

Laubach had to be on his game because Chase Gordon pitched five scoreless innings for SI before Valley Christian, ranked second by the Bay Area News Group, broke through in the sixth.

Tatum Marsh’s two-run homer gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. Jordan Ortiz’s single in the seventh stretched the margin to 3-0.

From there, all eyes were on Laubach, who got the treatment pitchers typically receive while working a no-hitter or perfect game.

Nobody talked to him.

Laubach figured the final three outs would be a challenge as the top of SI’s batting order was coming up.

The first batter flied out to left. Laubach struck out the second batter. The third one hit the line drive to Chavez to end the game, sealing a victory that avenged Valley Christian’s 4-0 loss at home to 10th-ranked SI on Tuesday.

“I got the first two and I started to tense up a little bit,” Laubach said. “I was able to get that last out, and it was surreal. This will be a memory to look back upon, for sure.”

Junior Kole Laubach tosses a perfect game to lead varsity baseball team to a 3-0 win over Saint Ignatius and a share of the WCAL regular season title pic.twitter.com/gbnltbIp6c

— VCHS Athletics (@VCHSAthletics) May 4, 2024

All four of Laubach’s pitches were working — fastball, slider, curveball and changeup — as he dropped SI’s record to 16-8, 7-7.

“He’s been really good of late,” said Diatte, whose team improved to 23-4, 11-3. “Nothing bothers him. He just goes out there and does what he needs to do. Highly competitive. Wants to be successful. I love his work ethic. Some guys get into the season and they stop working to get better. He just has continued to get better.”

He proved that again Friday.

No. 3 Serra 13, No. 11 Archbishop Mitty 2

Serra, playing at home in San Mateo, all but clinched its share of the WCAL crown in the first inning when it erupted for seven runs.

The Padres added three more runs in the third and three in the fifth to soar past Mitty to close out the league regular-season schedule.

Ian Armstrong and Jake Downing each hit home runs to help lead the way. Armstrong had three hits and three RBIs.

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The Padres also got two hits and an RBI from Ian Josephson and two hits from Josiah Rodriguez. Justin Sechler added a triple and knocked in two runs as Serra improved to 20-5, 11-3.

Mitty is 15-11-1, 7-6-1.

No. 1 Granada 15, Livermore 1

Granada closed out its regular-season league schedule with a dominant victory on the road over Livermore.

The Matadors scored eight runs in the second and one in the third to take complete control as Quinn Boyd knocked in three runs and Tyler Kardy, Parker Warner and Peyton Richards each drove in two.

Granada improved to 23-1 overall and 12-1 in the East Bay Athletic League. Livermore is 13-11, 5-8.

OAKLAND — There were a trio of occasions on Friday night where the Marlins seemed poised to scratch across, at the minimum, a run or two against JP Sears. All three times, Sears, with a little help from his defense, slammed the door en route to turning in one of his finer starts of the year.

On a relatively lively evening at the Oakland Coliseum, Sears tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings, Brent Rooker hit his sixth home run, Lucas Erceg recorded his second save and the Athletics (16-17) bested the Marlins, 3-1, to win their fifth straight game.

“JP’s done a nice job of controlling the emotions,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s done a nice job of recognizing when it gets to spiraling that he needs to focus on making and executing a pitch and getting an out.”

The outing was a bounceback for Sears, who allowed seven earned runs, tied for the most he’s surrendered in a single start, to the Orioles across 6 1/3 innings in his last appearance.

If there was a theme for Sears on Friday night, it was his ability to get into and out of trouble. Thrice, the Marlins put a runner in scoring position against Sears. In each instance, Sears escaped without allowing a run.

Sears’ first act came in the second inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a one-out triple to center field with the help of Esteury Ruiz misplaying the hop. Despite the potential first run of the game sitting 90 feet away, Sears got out of trouble by striking out Emmanuel Rivera and getting Otto Lopez to ground out.

The southpaw worked out of an even trickier jam in the following inning. The Marlins put runners at the corners with one out after Vidal Bruján doubled, then stole third as Myers drew a walk. With men at first and third, Sears induced a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Bryan De La Cruz to end another threat.

After tossing a perfect fourth, Sears wiggled his way out of more danger in the fifth. Bruján, again, put himself in scoring position by roping a two-out single and swiping second base. Nick Fortes slapped a line drive that appeared destined for the left-field grass, but Darrell Hernaiz perfectly timed his leap to snag Fortes’ screamer and keep the Marlins out of the run column. In total, the Marlins were hitless in five at-bats against Sears with a runner in scoring position.

“It wasn’t the best pitch, so whenever he hit it, I thought it was going to be a double and a run,” Sears said. “So, whenever you see a guy make a play like that, that’s huge for momentum. It keeps you in the game, keeps you positive the whole time and feeling good.”

Added Rooker: “Super impressive outing for him tonight, which is what we’ve come to expect from him. We’re super comfortable when he’s out there. We have all the faith in the world in him, and he’s going to continue to have a good year.”

Sears wasn’t the only pitcher donning the green and gold to strand Marlins on base. In the eighth inning with two outs and two on, Lucas Erceg was called upon to keep the Marlins off the scoreboard. Erceg had a dubious beginning, plunking Josh Bell to load the bases, then starting his at-bat against Tim Anderson with a pair of pitches outside the zone.

With the bases full and Anderson, a former batting champion, sitting on a 2-0 count, Erceg responded with three straight strikes to end the inning, freezing Anderson on a slider to punch him out looking. The Marlins threatened in the ninth, scoring a run off Erceg and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Erceg managed to record the save.

As far as the scoring, Rooker put the A’s on the scoreboard with a no-doubt, 440-foot two-run shot — his sixth homer of the year — that flirted with landing in the skyboxes, providing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Oakland tacked on another run in the fifth inning as Ruiz legged out a two-out infield single hit to the six hole, expanding the lead to 3-0.

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The biggest news in the baseball world developed roughly five minutes prior to first pitch as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that two-time All-Star Luis Arraez, the Marlins’ original listed leadoff hitter, had been traded to the Padres as part of a blockbuster deal. Sears’ first batter, then, became Dane Myers, who he struck out on five pitches to begin his night.

“It can be disruptive, but I think (Marlins manager) Skip (Schumaker) handled it very, very well,” Kotsay said. “He’s been in the game a long time. Delivering those messages is never easy, but it was nice to see his teammates get a chance to say what they needed to. In terms of preparation, we’re all professional here. Those things happen. I’m sure it didn’t distract them from the game.

Brett Harris, Oakland’s No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline who was called up prior to Friday’s game, went hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts in his debut.

PHILADELPHIA — Facing the stiffest test of his short career as a starting pitcher, the biggest impact Jordan Hicks made Friday night against the Phillies wasn’t anything he did on the mound. It was his delay getting off of it.

With the speedy Trea Turner standing on second base with one steal already under his belt, Hicks remained stationary when his full-count splitter to Bryce Harper popped out of Tom Murphy’s glove. Turner advanced to third, saw home plate vacant and made a dash for it.

Hicks realized, but it was already too late.

Replay review confirmed Turner’s right foot slid across the plate just ahead of an acrobatic attempt at a tag from the pitcher, and that might as well have put the game out of reach for the Giants. It was the Phillies’ fourth run, a total San Francisco failed to reach for the eighth consecutive game in a 4-3 loss.

“That was the least of my worries today,” said Hicks, who failed to complete five innings for the first time this season and was handed his first loss, allowing four runs (two earned) and issuing four walks. “I mean, I saw him round (third) and I was like, ‘All right, this is going to be a play.’ … I thought I got him.”

It was another story of missed opportunities offensively, with the same main character.

Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded twice, Jorge Soler popped out to end the second inning and and grounded into a double play in seventh after the first three Giants had reached base. The double play, turned unassisted by shortstop Edmundo Sosa, drove in the Giants’ third run of the game but didn’t go into the stat column as an RBI, leaving the $42 million designated hitter’s total at eight, tied for eighth on the team, only three of which were not himself on home runs.

“We all feel like he’s going to get a hit in those situations,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It just hasn’t happened yet.”

Soler has come to the plate 26 times with runners in scoring position and delivered hits only three times, a .115 batting average. As a team Friday, the Giants stranded eight men on base and went 2-for-11 in opportunities with runners in scoring position.

The Phillies’ powerful lineup, meanwhile, provided a different look for Hicks, who took a 1.59 ERA into Friday’s start, sixth-best in MLB. That number had come in six starts against the Padres, Nationals, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Pirates, a group that includes only two teams performing at the league average or better, as measured by wRC+.

Entering the series, the Phillies owned a wRC+ of 111, with 100 as the league average, the seventh-best mark in the majors, so it should come as no surprise that they caused Hicks more trouble than he faced in any of his previous starts.

“I never really go into a game thinking how tough or how good this lineup has been,” Hicks said. “I like to use my strengths against everybody. They definitely have a really good lineup and took some good pitches. … I didn’t feel like I had everything today, but a lot of it was having men on. I feel like when I was executing first-pitch strikes, the at-bat went pretty good and I didn’t, it didn’t.”

The four innings from the converted reliever amounted to his shortest start of the season, running his pitch count up to 88 — only 47 strikes — by the time he recorded his final out. After issuing only three total walks in his first three starts, he has now walked three or more batters in three of his past four outings.

Allowing the Phillies to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning, Hicks threw 10 straight pitches outside the strike zone. Eight of them helped put Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto on base with free passes, and one Alec Bohm swung at and lined into left field, driving home Kyle Schwarber, who reached on Matt Chapman’s second error of the game.

Chapman, a two-time Platinum Glove winner, also airmailed a throw to first base, only the seventh time in his career he committed multiple errors in a game.

The most consequential miscues, however, came on Turner’s two-base passed ball the following inning.

In addition to Hicks’ oversight, Murphy was late retrieving the ball from the backstop and his throw took his pitcher up the first base line, away from the sliding Turner. The shortstop was also allowed to reach second base on a delayed steal that appeared to catch Murphy by surprise.

“It was weird, right? Splitter up — you don’t expect it to do anything,” Murphy explained. “At the last second, it dived on me. I just didn’t have sight of that as it was coming down. I thought I had it in my glove. I go back to pick up the ball and, sure enough, Trea’s coming around. I should’ve thrown a better ball to Jordan.”

Not to be overlooked: Jung Hoo Lee’s sensational running catch to rob Johan Rojas of extra bases in the fourth inning. Lee covered 87 feet and reached a sprint speed of 28.3 mph, according to Statcast, while tracking down and backhanding the fly ball that appeared destined for the warning track.

Hicks’ appropriate but not-fit-for-print verbal reaction was caught on Apple’s 4K cameras.

“I told (Lee’s interpreter, Justin Han), ‘Come here’ because he was on the other end of the dugout,” Hicks said. “I had to tell him how good that play was.”

Added Melvin, “There’s good catches, and there’s that one.

“There was a point in time where I didn’t think he was going to catch it. And I didn’t think, and I didn’t think. And all of a sudden he throws his glove out. That’s about as good of a play on the run as you’re going to see.”

Hicks wasn’t the only starter having trouble commanding the baseball.

Aaron Nola also walked four and was done after four innings, but the Giants failed to capitalize on his mistakes. They made him throw 46 pitches in the second inning alone but left the bases loaded when Soler popped up to end the inning.

The Giants managed two runs out of the situation, thanks to Thairo Estrada. He drove a double to the right field wall that scored Patrick Bailey and Chapman, who led off the inning with back-to-back walks.

The 2-0 advantage was the first time the Phillies had allowed their opponent to score first in their past 11 games. An inning later, it had evaporated.

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Notable

Bailey, who started behind the plate, left the game midway through the second inning with blurry vision. He was struck in the face mask with a foul ball the previous innings but initially remained in the game.

Afterward Melvin said Bailey was “doing a little better” and not in concussion protocol, though the club was still evaluating whether it would need to add another catcher — likely Blake Sabol, the only other one on the 40-man roster — before Saturday’s game.

Up next

RHP Keaton Winn (3-3, 3.18) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (5-0, 1.32), with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. PT. Suarez was named the National League pitcher of the month for March and April.

PHILADELPHIA — In search of offense, the Giants lost one of their most productive hitters in the second inning of their series opener Friday night against the Phillies.

As Alec Bohm’s walk-up music rang through Citizens Bank Park, catcher Patrick Bailey motioned to the Giants dugout. He requested the training staff and appeared to tell them, “I’m dizzy.” The catcher accompanied head trainer Dave Groeschner and manager Bob Melvin back to the dugout and was replaced by Tom Murphy.

The Giants announced midway through the game that Bailey was being evaluated for blurry vision.

After the game, Melvin said Bailey was “doing a little better” and not in concussion protocol.

“He had some blurry vision, so obviously we were going to be proactive about that,” Melvin said. “The doc saw him and we’re monitoring him right now.”

Nothing immediately preceding Bailey’s exit suggested a concussion or any other injury. The previous inning, he was struck in the face mask by a foul ball off Bohm’s bat but remained in the game for the final batter of the first inning and the first two batters of the second.

After Nick Castellanos reached on an error by third baseman Matt Chapman, Bailey called for Melvin and Groeschner.

“I checked right in with him, and he seems to be doing OK,” Murphy said. “It’s terrifying, right? Pat’s been through some concussions and that sort of thing. I feel for that kid deeply. Hopefully he figures out a better mask, or something better for him. I just really hope he’s OK.”

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A runner-up for a Gold Glove as a rookie, Bailey had been one of the few things going right for the Giants’ offense, which had failed to score more than three runs in any of its past seven games entering Friday night. In 24 games, Bailey had been 31% better than the ballpark-adjusted league-average hitter, and his .279/.337/.456 batting line equaled a .793 OPS, second only to LaMonte Wade Jr. among Giants hitters.

“Hopefully it’s not a loss,” Melvin said of the potential impact of Bailey’s absence. “He is central to kind of everything we do.”

If Bailey is forced to miss time, the Giants no longer have Joey Bart at Triple-A Sacramento to call up in his place. Blake Sabol is the only other catcher the Giants have on their 40-man roster.

As for Friday night, when it came time to warm up Jordan Hicks in between innings, it was Tyler Fitzgerald who threw on shin guards and a catcher’s mitt. Maybe the superutility man will play all nine positions after all.

After getting eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham.

Among the candidates they’re expected to consider to replace Ham, according to The Athletic, is current Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson.

Atkinson joined the Warriors in 2021 and won his first NBA championship that season as an assistant coach. He previously worked as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, as well as an assistant to Ty Lue with the Clippers, Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta, and Mike D’Antoni in New York.

Atkinson has been sought after before; last season, he reportedly turned down the chance to become the Hornets’ head coach after informally agreeing to an offer.

The Warriors’ bench has experienced some brain drain in recent years, as Mike Brown left to lead the Kings and Jama Mahlalela departed for Toronto. Assistant coach Dejan Milojevic also tragically died this season.

The Lakers fired Ham after two seasons in which the first-time head coach led the team to consecutive playoff berths. Los Angeles went 90-74 under Ham, who reportedly has two years left on his contract.

“We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”

Other likely candidates for the Lakers head coaching position, per The Athletic, include former player JJ Redick, Budenholzer, and Lue if he becomes available.

 

PHILADELPHIA — Three months since an aneurysm was discovered in his right shoulder, Tristan Beck was cleared to throw a baseball Friday and will begin his progression to return to the mound sometime this season.

The big step for Beck, 27, came after his latest follow-up appointment with Stanford vascular specialist Dr. Jason Lee, and was just one of a number of developments among injured Giants pitchers that the team provided before opening a four-game series against the Phillies.

Beck will start a light throwing program Monday in San Francisco, joining Alex Cobb in throwing off flat ground.

Cobb, 36, played catch Thursday for the first time since experiencing discomfort in his shoulder and is expected to progress to 60-75 feet over the weekend. Neither pitcher can be activated until May 27, though manager Bob Melvin indicated it’s more likely Cobb will be ready by then than Beck.

“Beck’s going to be a while,” Melvin said. “Until he actually gets on a mound, we’re really not sure when that’s going to be yet. It’s tough to forecast when he’s going to be ready.”

The Giants have a better sense of when they can count on Blake Snell, who missed his last start after straining his adductor during a bullpen session. Snell, 31, will throw a three-inning bullpen session Saturday and could progress afterward to a simulated game or a rehab assignment, Melvin said.

“He feels good, so that’s the most important thing,” Melvin said.

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In six times through Snell’s turn in the rotation — three of his starts and three covered by others — the Giants are 0-6 and have been outscored 55-12. They have a seventh to cover Monday in the series finale, and Melvin said “hopefully sometime in May” they will have Snell back in place.

“Maybe the third week,” Melvin said. “It all depends each and every time how he feels.”

Further down the road, Robbie Ray and Austin Warren continue to make progress in their returns from Tommy John surgery.

Both pitchers reached minor milestones in their bullpen sessions this week, throwing all of their pitches for the first time.

Ray, 32, should give the Giants another rotation option sometime around the All-Star break, when Warren could also provide some reinforcements to the bullpen.

SAN JOSE — Campbell Union High School District superintendent Robert Bravo is expected to respond to a formal complaint filed in support of dismissed Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs by early next week, sources told the Bay Area News Group. 

The complaint, submitted to the district office last month, called for Branham Principal Lindsay Schubert to be removed from her position and Jacobs and assistant AD Heather Cooper to be reinstated to their jobs.

Details in the complaint cannot be added to a school board agenda until Bravo formally responds in a written document to the group of Jacobs’ supporters who filed the report.

Bravo didn’t immediately reply on Friday to an email seeking comment.

On Thursday night, supporters voiced their displeasure about the ongoing saga, marking the third consecutive school board meeting in which the Jacobs situation consumed time set aside for public comments.

Among those who spoke on Thursday were Jacobs’ wife and Branham girls water polo coach Brittney Ames, Jacobs’ ex-wife Lisa Jacobs, former Branham girls basketball coach Heather Queyrel and members of the Branham sports community.

Brittney Ames, Branham High School girls water polo coach, speaks in support of former Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs and assistant athletic director Heather Cooper during the Campbell Union High School District board meeting in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

“Dr. Bravo has a formal complaint sitting on his desk asking for the reinstatement of coach Cooper and Jacobs,” Branham community member Heather Miksch said in her address to the board. “If Dr. Bravo denies the request, we will appeal to the Board of Trustees. Trustees, I don’t know any of you personally … but if Dr. Bravo fails to act, I’m trusting you to do the right thing before we spend any more taxpayer money on this and it escalates further.”

Heather Miksch speaks in support of former Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs and assistant athletic director Heather Cooper during the Campbell Union High School District board meeting in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

On Wednesday, Cooper had her first hearing with the school board regarding allegations that she mishandled funds in September while she worked in the athletic department.

According to Miksch, who attended Wednesday’s hearing, Cooper’s removal from her position as assistant AD stems from a check reimbursement form that she submitted. 

Cooper did not respond to the Bay Area News Group’s request for an interview. 

Branham appears to be moving swiftly to hire a new athletic director. Interviews for the position were held earlier this week, sources said.

Jacobs’ supporters urged the board on Thursday to not hire a new AD until the formal complaint is addressed. 

“We ask the board to demand that Branham High School and the district office not conduct interviews on Friday and not hire a new athletic director while there are proceedings happening in relation to employment,” Lisa Jacobs said. 

Lisa Jacobs speaks in support of former Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs during the Campbell Union High School District board meeting in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

Jacobs reapplied for his old position last month but was told last week that he was not eligible to be a candidate because of rules in the collective bargaining agreement between the teachers and the district.

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In addition to the formal complaint, Jacobs’ supporters filed a public records request to access all written communication and emails between Bravo, Schubert and members of the board about Jacobs’ situation, including any investigation into allegations that the former athletic director mishandled funds.

The request was filed on April 10.

According to the California Public Records Act, the board had 10 calendar days to release the correspondence or provide an explanation why it could meet the request.

The board formally asked for an extension because the request was too broad, sources said.

Campbell Union High School District board of trustees President Jason Baker, left, speaks next to superintendent Robert Bravo, right, during the Campbell Union High School District board meeting in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

Thursday, the AD’s supporters continued to criticize Bravo and Schubert.

“In the April 18 meeting, Dr. Bravo said ‘the Branham community is a big community with lots of great people and maybe some people that we don’t like as much,’” Queyrel said. “Is Landon this person? Is this how the district runs? If we don’t like you, we get rid of you?”

“We filed a written grievance on April 4. No response. A public records request was filed on April 10. No response other than to say it’s too broad or to push the date. Everything seems to be moving at a glacial pace except the posting to hire a new athletic director.”

Heather Queyrel speaks in support of former Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs and assistant athletic director Heather Cooper during the Campbell Union High School District board meeting in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

The Hotline mailbag publishes weekly. Send questions to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter/X: @WilnerHotline.

Please note: Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Assuming that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham steps away in the not-too-distant future, defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley probably will take over. When other programs have replaced a legend with a key existing staff member, what are some best and worst comparisons? And which might be closest to Utah’s case? — @mattkreuter

We agree that the 64-year-old Whittingham will retire in the next few years and Scalley, the longtime defensive assistant and coordinator, will take over the program.

At one point, Scalley was the official coach-in-waiting, but that designation was revoked after he used a racial slur in a text message. Our sense is that enough time has passed without further incident (or additional revelations) that the Utes could promote Scalley to the throne without significant political fallout.

The comparison that comes immediately to mind — because it happened just a few years ago, not because Utah is destined for the same fate — is Washington promoting Jimmy Lake to replace Chris Petersen in December 2019. That ended poorly, with Lake dismissed after two seasons.

There’s a rough comparison available down the road from Salt Lake City, as well: In 2001, Brigham Young replaced legendary coach LaVell Edwards with Gary Crowton. Although Crowton wasn’t on Edwards’ staff at the time of the transition, he was a BYU alum. Crowton had a stellar first season, then fizzled.

If we expand the scope in both time and terrain, more comparisons come into focus.

Oklahoma replaced Barry Switzer with defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs in 1989. Gibbs cleaned up the mess left behind and lasted six seasons but did not win at the required level.

In 1993, Washington defensive coordinator Jim Lambright was promoted to head coach after UW legend Don James resigned in August amid an NCAA scandal. Lambright lasted six years, never cracking the top 10 in the final AP poll.

In 1998, longtime Nebraska assistant Frank Solich took over for Tom Osborne and averaged 10 wins over four seasons. But success faded in Year Five and Solich was gone soon after.

So there are myriad situations similar to a Scalley-for-Whittingham exchange. In many cases the replacement experienced early success, then lost traction.

And the timelines are shorter these days. In the 1990s, it was common to give coaches five or six seasons. Now, judgment comes after Year Three, if not sooner.

In our view, Oregon offers the best model for Utah. Somehow, the Ducks made internal promotions work twice:

— Offensive coordinator Mike Bellotti replaced Rich Brooks in 1995 and lifted the program to unprecedented heights over the course of his 14 seasons.

— Bellotti then stepped aside before the 2009 season and handed the keys to his playcaller, Chip Kelly, who led the Ducks to 46 wins in four years (and transformed the sport in the process).

None of the aforementioned situations is exactly like Utah’s presumed transition, and the sport is changing dramatically, with economics (e.g., NIL) playing an increasingly large role in roster composition.

Our advice to Utah fans wondering about the post-Whittingham existence: Take comfort in Utah’s previous success.

After all, Whittingham himself was an internal promotion after Urban Meyer left for Ohio State in 2004, and that transition worked out pretty darn well.

Do you predict the eight most valuable football schools form an alliance in the coming years in order to leverage the highest media rights payouts? If such an alliance forms, will USC be included among the eight? — @TerryTerry79

The Trojans would probably make the cut for a Great Eight, although it’s close. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama and LSU would be in the discussion, as well.

But we don’t see any indication of an eight-school alliance.

How would that function on a practical level? You need more than eight to create a super league. And how would those eight leverage their media valuation separately given that they are currently under contract (for varying lengths) with their conferences.

The super league concept currently making the rounds is deeply flawed and features 80 schools. That isn’t realistic: Fox and ESPN would not agree to pay premium valuations for Minnesota vs. South Carolina or TCU vs. Arizona.

If massive consolidation materializes, the super league that emerges will have fewer than 80 schools … but far more than eight.

Have Fox and the Big Ten identified the 2024 football games that will be moved to Friday? It’s difficult to make travel plans to attend away games when there is a risk that the game will be moved to a different day. — @Jalex0077

The Friday games have added a layer of complication for fans, and the situation is only getting worse with the increased travel (time and cost) required in bicoastal conferences.

The 2024 Big Ten schedule, released in November, included the following note:

“Selected Saturday games in the 2024 season may be adjusted to select Fridays and other special dates, including Labor Day Sunday and Black Friday.”

Look for the conference to announce a slew of Friday matchups at the end of May, along with the kickoff times for its early-season (non-conference) games.

Our hunch: A significant number of the Friday dates, if not the majority, will involve West Coast schools.

Are the former Pac-12 teams still going to participate in the bowl games tied to the former conference as speculated several months ago? — @tobsandmags

As we see it, there is no viable alternative. The new homes for the outbound schools (ACC, Big Ten and Big 12) have bowl contracts based on current membership.

Granted, tweaks will be needed to avoid rematches. For instance, the Alamo Bowl pairs the No. 2 team in the Pac-12 with an opponent from the Big 12. Nobody wants Utah playing Iowa State in San Antonio one month after the teams collide in Salt Lake City.

Also, the bowl partnerships are based largely on geography.

Keeping the outbound Pac-12 teams aligned with Pac-12 bowls in the Pacific Time Zone — unless those teams make the cut for the playoff — creates the most cost-effective experience for fans.

With the House lawsuit against the NCAA, shouldn’t more blame and cost be on Arizona State since that’s the institution House swam for? — @bdgiddens6

I cannot help but chuckle and wonder if the author of this question is an Arizona fan, seeking a way to denigrate the Sun Devils.

For those unfamiliar, Grant House is a former ASU swimmer and the named plaintiff in a lawsuit that is transforming college sports by forcing the schools into a revenue-sharing agreement with athletes.

House v NCAA is scheduled for trial next winter but could be settled in the next few months, with a steep price tag.

ESPN and Yahoo have reported the NCAA could owe former athletes almost $3 billion in compensation from the pre-NIL era.

Additionally, schools are preparing to spend about $20 million annually in revenue sharing with current athletes and another $10 million in additional scholarships.

The totality of the cost could force some schools to eliminate Olympic sports or decide they don’t want to compete at the highest level of major college football.

But Grant House’s choice of colleges should not require ASU to carry a larger financial burden. The Sun Devils didn’t subject him to different economic conditions than existed for Olympic sports athletes across the country.

What’s your pick for Colorado’s opener against North Dakota State? And what happens in Boulder when the Bisons beat the Buffaloes? — @PDX_JonathanW

NDSU is one of the top programs in the FCS and, over the years, has defeated a slew of major college teams.

That said, we’re picking the Buffaloes. They should be marginally better than they were last season with improved play on the lines of scrimmage.

But a loss to NDSU would create an exceedingly difficult path into the postseason for second-year coach Deion Sanders.

CU’s conference schedule is daunting with Arizona, Utah and both Kansas schools, while the non-conference lineup again includes Nebraska and Colorado State in September.

How much longer does “Coach Prime” last at Colorado? — @CyclingUte22

We have considered Sanders a short-timer in Boulder since the moment he accepted the job in December 2022. Either he wins this year or next and leaves for a better job, or he flops and resigns.

His recent comments about not following his sons into the NFL are immaterial, in our view.

Even if Sanders wants no part of coaching on Sundays, he would surely entertain offers from his alma mater, Florida State, or an elite college program in the SEC.

Put another way: We would be mildly surprised if he’s coaching the Buffaloes in their 2026 season opener.

Will Brigham Young’s victory total be over or under four in the upcoming season? I’m going with the under. — @utez1568052

Given that FanDuel set BYU’s win total at 4.5, your lean seems reasonable.

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The Hotline pegged the Cougars for 13th place in the Big 12 race next season because of the quarterback uncertainty and a wobbly run defense.

But the schedule cannot be ignored, either.

Winning on the road is always difficult. When the home lineup is daunting, as well, the overall margin for error shrivels.

And BYU has one of the toughest home schedules in the Big 12 with Kansas, Kansas State, Arizona and Oklahoma State visiting Provo.

I’m not sure about your projection of fewer than four victories, but we certainly would take under FanDuel’s total of 4.5.

Any developing news on the fate of the Pac-12 Network? — @rEd315

That depends on what you already know.

The Pac-12 Networks will cease to exist as a media distribution company on July 1. However, the infrastructure will remain in place to produce live events for Washington State and Oregon State in 2024-25.

The schools have numerous teams competing as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference and are thereby subject to the WCC’s media requirements. Those include making dozens of competitions available for broadcast on ESPN’s digital platform.

The Pac-12 Networks’ equipment and production staff will carry the load for WSU and OSU, at least for the upcoming year.

After that? The conference has a multi-year lease on the San Ramon office space. But like so much else, that issue is unresolved.

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