Ted Roof was hired as Duke’s football coach Saturday, his audition turning into a full-time job.
Duke athletic director Joe Alleva said Roof signed a long-term contract. He was hired over three other candidates, including former Detroit Lions coach Bobby Ross.
Roof was 2-3 as interim coach after Carl Franks was fired Oct. 19, breaking the Duke’s 30-game conference losing streak and a 13-game skid against North Carolina.
“I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do since I was 17 years old,” Roof said. “I wanted to be a head football coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
Ball on a roll
UCLA defensive end Dave Ball was named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year, a national award announced Saturday. The 6-foot-6-inch, 275-pound defensive end’s 16 1/2 sacks led the nation.
Ball was named a first-team All-America selection by both the American Football Coaches Association and Football Writers Association. Ball and USC’s Jacob Rogers won the Morris Trophy, awarded to the best Pac-10 linemen.
Wheaton falls
Zach Bruney threw four touchdown passes to lead Mt. Union to a 56-10 victory over Wheaton (12-1) on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs.
The Purple Raiders have won 54 consecutive games, matching their own NCAA record. It will be the ninth straight year that Mt. Union has advanced to the semifinals.
Andrew Day’s 48-yard field goal in the first quarter gave Wheaton a 3-0 lead before Mt. Union (12-0) ran off 42 straight points.
Player dies suddenly
Lycoming’s leading wide receiver, senior Ricky Lannetti, died Saturday night of an undisclosed illness, the school announced.
Lannetti died the same day Lycoming’s Division III playoff game against Bridgewater had been postponed because of Friday night’s snowfall. The game was set to be played at noon Sunday at Lycoming’s David Person Field.
According to the statement from the school, Girardi talked to the team after Lannetti died, and the players still wanted to play the game Sunday.
