AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:30 p.m. EST

Panthers hire Frank Reich over Steve Wilks as head coach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have hired Frank Reich as their new head coach following an extensive search. The 61-year-old Reich joins the Panthers after spending the past four-plus seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he went 40-33-1 as head coach before being fired on Nov. 7. The Colts went to the playoffs twice as a wild-card team under Reich. For Reich, the hire represents a return to Carolina, where he spent one season as the team’s quarterback and started the franchise’s inaugural game in 1995. He was chosen over candidates including Steve Wilks, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator before being promoted to interim coach.

Final 4 NFL teams all feature offensive-minded head coaches

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Coach Kyle Shanahan’s success in San Francisco overseeing productive offenses without elite quarterback play is a reason why so many teams each January are seeking the next trendy, play-calling offensive coach to take over their team. All four head coaches in the conference championship games come from an offensive background with Kansas City’s Andy Reid and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor also calling plays like Shanahan, while Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni delegated that duty during his first season.

Jets hire former Broncos coach Hackett to run offense

The New York Jets have hired former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator. The team announced the hiring Thursday of the 43-year-old Hackett, who replaces Mike LaFleur. Hackett went 4-11 in less than one season as head coach of the Broncos. Hackett’s arrival will fuel some speculation about whether the Jets could pursue Aaron Rodgers, whose playing future is uncertain. Hackett served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-21 with Rodgers as the quarterback. The Jets also announced that Keith Carter was hired as the team’s offensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Rybakina, Sabalenka to meet in Australian Open women’s final

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has reached her second final in the past three Grand Slam tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 at the Australian Open. Azarenka was the champion at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013. She joins a list of players eliminated by Rybakina over the past two weeks that includes No. 1 Iga Swiatek, No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins. Rybakina will take on No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Saturday’s final. Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam title match by defeating unseeded Magda Linette 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the semifinals.

Tommy Paul’s Australian run helps make US men relevant again

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tommy Paul’s run to the semifinals at the Australian Open is the latest in a series of signs that men from the United States are relevant again in tennis. The last Grand Slam singles title for an American man came when Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open. Paul will try to take the next step toward ending that drought when he faces 21-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the final four on Friday. The other men’s semifinal is Stefanos Tsitsipas against Karen Khachanov. Paul’s breakthrough comes a few months after countryman Frances Tiafoe reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open. There are projected to be 10 men from the U.S. in the ATP top 50 when the rankings are released Monday. That is the most since 1995.

Stewart, McBride exit US Soccer, leaving Berhalter in limbo

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Earnie Stewart is leaving to join PSV Eindhoven following the departure of American general manager Brian McBride. The management shakeup leaves men’s coach Gregg Berhalter in uncertainty. Berhalter and McBride were hired by Stewart, and the coach’s contract expired Dec. 31. Three days later, the USSF announced Berhalter was under investigation for a 1991 domestic violence incident. Anthony Hudson was then appointed interim coach. USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone said Berhalter remained a contender to stay on for the next World Cup cycle.

Joe Burrow, Bengals go for 4-0 vs. KC in AFC title rematch

The Bengals and Chiefs have become familiar foes. When the teams face off Sunday in Kansas City to determine the AFC champion, it’ll be their fourth meeting in 393 days and a rematch of last year’s conference title game. The No. 1 seed Chiefs (15-3) dropped all three games, including a 27-24 loss in Cincinnati on Dec. 4. That was the same score for the Bengals’ overtime victory in Kansas City in this game last season. The Bengals (14-4) are riding a 10-game winning streak after eliminating the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. Both teams are here because of their quarterbacks.

Russia’s path to 2024 Olympics takes shape, Ukraine objects

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russia’s path to sending a team to the Paris Olympics next year has become clearer amid fierce objections from Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday it favors officially neutral teams from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics despite a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude them entirely. Russia and Belarus have been invited to compete at the Asian Games. That is a key qualifying event in several sports. Russia is broadly welcoming the IOC-backed plan and Ukraine is seeking to rally support against it.

Dummy of Vinícius Júnior hanged off bridge ahead of derby

MADRID (AP) — A dummy of Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has been hanged from a highway bridge hours before the team’s match against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. The perpetrators used a black figure with Vinícius Júnior’s name on it, tied a rope around its neck and hanged it from an overpass in Madrid along with a banner with the words “Madrid hates Real.” The banner and the figure apparently were attached to the bridge while still dark early in the morning. The message on the banner is often used by one of Atletico Madrid’s ultra fans groups. Vinícius is Black and has been subjected to racist taunts more than once in Spain.

Meyer Shank Racing aims for 2nd consecutive Rolex 24 victory

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Michael Shank bookended last season with a win in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona and closed the year with the IMSA championship. But the team owner has yet to relax as IMSA this weekend opens its season with a new era of hybrid engines. Shank wants Meyer Shank Racing to be the top Acura factory team. He’ll attempt to defend last year’s win in the twice-round-the-clock endurance race with a lineup of Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, and IMSA full-time drivers Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun.