Louisiana Tech coach hired to take over at Cal

BERKELEY, Calif. — California hired Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes on Wednesday in hopes the offensive mastermind can revive a program that struggled in recent years under the fired Jeff Tedford.

Athletic director Sandy Barbour made her biggest hire at Cal just more than two weeks after firing Tedford. Dykes will be formally introduced at an on-campus news conference Thursday.

"Sonny Dykes is one of the brightest offensive minds in the country, running a high-octane style of football, one that I'm certain will allow our student-athletes to thrive and that our community will love on game day," Barbour said in a statement.

Dykes, 43, had a 22-15 record with the Bulldogs, improving their win total each year. The Bulldogs averaged 35.9 points and 452.5 yards per game in his tenure.

He takes over a Cal team that went 3-9 this past season and missed a bowl for the second time in three years. Dykes inherits a roster with some talent, most notably heralded quarterback recruit Zach Kline, who did not play as a freshman but is in line to win the starting job.

Dykes also will benefit from a facilities upgrade that Tedford helped engineer. Cal opened its remodeled $321 million stadium this past season.

However, the Bears will be without standout receiver Keenan Allen, who announced earlier in the day that he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Allen is Cal's career receiving leader and is expected to be one of the top receivers taken in next April's draft.

Alvarez to coach

in Rose Bowl

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will return to the sideline to coach the Badgers against Stanford in the Rose Bowl, former coach Bret Bielema said at his introductory news conference at Arkansas.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that team captains asked Alvarez to coach the team and he agreed.

Bielema, who lost the previous two Rose Bowls and became coach at Arkansas on Tuesday, joked, "They might finally win one."

Alvarez is a College Football Hall of Famer who led the Badgers to three Rose Bowl wins.

No Colorado

hiring yet

BOULDER, Colo. — Butch Jones denied he has agreed to become the coach at Colorado. In a text message to The Associated Press, Jones called a report that he's accepted the position "absolutely false."

The Cincinnati coach has been weighing his options since meeting with athletic director Mike Bohn and other Colorado officials Monday.

Notes

• Charlie Strong has told both Louisville and Tennessee that he will remain coach of the Cardinals, sources told ESPN. Strong had been deciding whether to accept an offer from Tennessee worth at least $3.5 million annually.

• Darrell Hazell, the Mid-American Conference coach of the year after leading Kent State to its first winning season since 2001, took over at Purdue. ESPN reported he's set to make $12 million over a six-year contract.

• Florida International coach Mario Cristobal was fired after an injury-filled 3-9 season.

• Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, also a Heisman Trophy finalist, won the Lombardi Award as the best lineman or linebacker.

• Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert won the John Mackey Award that goes to the best tight end.

• Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was voted the AP Big 12 offensive player of the year.

By Seattle Times news services