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In his first public comments since he declined at the last minute to accept the Indianapolis Colts‘ head coaching position Da'Shawn Hand Jersey , Josh McDaniels denied Friday that he’d made any deal to succeed Bill Belichick as coach of the New England Patriots.

McDaniels listed several reasons for remaining in New England as Belichick’s offensive coordinator – some personal, some football-related. But he said his job is no different than it was before his near-departure for Indianapolis.

”No, I mean my role is the same,” McDaniels said when asked if he’d received any assurances of becoming the Patriots’ next coach. ”Look, I think if you’re here, you have an opportunity to work with and for some of the best people in our game, maybe some of the best people that have ever done those things in our game. So I just feel like it’s a great opportunity to be here in my role.”

That role will continue to be calling plays and working with quarterback Tom Brady.

”Whatever happens in the future’s going to happen,” he said. ”I’ll be happy with whatever that is.”

McDaniels and the rest of the Patriots’ assistants spoke to reporters at Gillette Stadium on Friday for the first time since New England’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

The Colts thought they had hired McDaniels two days later, tweeting out a welcome and even scheduling a news conference for the next day. Instead, McDaniels, who was coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-10, changed his mind and returned to the Patriots for his 10th season as offensive coordinator.

”You know there’s a lot that goes into those things and it can be very complicated,” he said. ”I’ve stated again and again that I definitely want to be a head coach again. At the same time, I love being here.

”This is where my kids are born and raised and we’ve made a pretty special life here and that’s not an easy thing to leave. There’s a lot to consider Nick Martin Jersey , and certainly leaving here I don’t take lightly ever. … It was a difficult process and I’m very happy with the decision that we made.”

While McDaniels returns to his old role, linebackers coach Brian Flores’ duties will expand. Although he won’t have the title of defensive coordinator, Flores will call the plays. This isn’t a new situation for Belichick’s staff: Matt Patricia, who left to become coach of the Detroit Lions in January, called plays from 2009-11 before getting the defensive coordinator title in 2012.

The Patriots ranked 29th in yards allowed per game (366) but were fifth in points allowed (18.5) last season.

Flores doesn’t anticipate making a personal stamp on the defense just because he’ll be calling the plays.

”I think there’s a long history of this defense. Bill’s been here for a number of years, so I would say we’re going to continue to play defense like we’ve played for the last 18 seasons since he’s been here,” Flores said. ”My role in that is no different than any other coach on the team. We’re trying to put something together here and do whatever helps us win, you know. You can call it a personal imprint, but it’s a team imprint. … We’re trying to build to be as good as we can be.”

Notes: The Patriots released OL Tony Garcia on Thursday. Garcia, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft out of Troy, spent last season on the reserve/non-football injury list. … New England also signed 2018 fifth-round draft pick LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, sixth-round draft picks LB Christian Sam and WR Braxton Berrios and seventh-round picks QB Danny Etling, DB Keion Crossen and TE Ryan Izzo. Terms of the contracts were not announced. In addition, the Patriots signed nine rookie free agents.

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The women’s Final Four is set Logan Cooke Jersey , and it’s one exclusive party.

UConn, Louisville, Mississippi State and Notre Dame are headed to Columbus, Ohio, marking the fourth time in tournament history that four No. 1 seeds made it to the national semifinals.

It’s the 11th consecutive Final Four appearance for the Huskies, breaking a tie with John Wooden and the UCLA men’s team for the Division I record. UConn is into the national semifinals for the 19th time overall, snapping a tie with Tennessee for the most in women’s basketball history.

The Huskies will face former Big East rival Notre Dame on Friday night. The Cardinals will play the Bulldogs in the other game.

UConn’s 111-game winning streak was stopped at this point last season when Mississippi State won their semifinal on a last-second shot by Morgan William in overtime. The Huskies are undefeated again after knocking out defending national champion South Carolina in the Albany Region final.

LARRY NASSAR CASE

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – A Michigan State University official who oversaw Larry Nassar is facing criminal charges amid an investigation into the handling of complaints against the former sport doctor, who is in prison for sexually assaulting patients under the guise of treatment.

William Strampel was in jail pending an arraignment Tuesday, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth told The Associated Press. He declined to say what charges Strampel faces because the probe is being led by the Michigan attorney general’s office.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Schuette declined to comment. A news conference was scheduled for Tuesday, two months after Schuette appointed a special assistant attorney general to investigate.

Strampel, 70, is the first person besides Nassar to be charged in connection with the worst sexual abuse case in sports history. Nassar pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography. Strampel’s arrest Monday was first reported by the Detroit Free Press, and WILX-TV earlier reported that state police were seen outside Strampel’s home in DeWitt Deonte Thompson Jersey , north of Lansing.

PRO BASKETBALL

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – Zeke Upshaw, a swingman for the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate who collapsed on the court during a game over the weekend, died Monday.

Upshaw, 26, died at a hospital, the Grand Rapids Drive said. No cause was disclosed. He collapsed Saturday night near the end of a game against the Long Island Nets.

The Pistons held a moment of silence in Upshaw’s memory Monday night before their home game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The G League also pushed back the start of its playoffs, delaying not just the Drive’s upcoming game but the entire first round.

Upshaw’s mother, Jewel Upshaw, released a statement thanking the team and fans. Team owner Steve Jbara said the Grand Rapids area was fortunate to enjoy Upshaw’s commitment to the community, especially children.

Numerous NBA players posted messages of sorrow after Upshaw’s death was announced. Some members of the Pistons scrawled tributes on the sneakers they wore for their game Monday night, as did Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.

PRO FOOTBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh agreed to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams, joining All-Pro Aaron Donald on a potentially fearsome defensive front.

Suh was released by the Dolphins earlier this month when he declined to restructure his hefty contract after three seasons in Miami. He attracted widespread interest as a free agent before agreeing to join the defending NFC West champion Rams, who have revamped their already solid defense with several impressive offseason additions.

Suh’s deal in Los Angeles is worth $14 million Dan Skuta Jersey , according to the NFL Network and ESPN.

Suh is a five-time Pro Bowl selection during his eight-year career with Detroit and Miami. He is considered one of the NFL’s most impressive defensive linemen, with 51 career sacks and excellent run-stopping ability. He also has never missed a game due to injury.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Yankees are on track to open the season this week with baseball’s seventh-highest payroll, their lowest ranking since 1992, according to projections by The Associated Press.

The Boston Red Sox will top the major leagues at about $223 million, ending the Los Angeles Dodgers’ four-year run as the top spender. San Francisco will be second at around $203 million, and the Chicago Cubs are set to be third at about $183 million.

The Dodgers and Washington Nationals will each be at approximately $180 million, and the Los Angeles Angels will be next at about $170 million. The Yankees will be at around $167 million – their lowest payroll since 2003.

New York has not been ranked as low as seventh since 1992, when it finished ninth at $34.5 million in the final season of owner George Steinbrenner’s 2 -year suspension. The Yankees rose to third the following year and topped the major leagues from 1994-97 and 1999-2013, interrupted by a season in which Baltimore finished $207,000 ahead. They were second to the Dodgers for each of the last four years.
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