BRISTOL, Conn. - Toms River is known for success at the Little League World Series on the baseball side. Now the town's softball program is getting its chance. Sophia Tolentino scored the tiebeaking run on a throwing error and Gia Gatto followed with an RBI single, powering a four-run final inning rally that lifted Toms River to a 5-3 victory over Team Pennsylvania for the region championship - and a berth in the Little League Softball World Series. This is a breaking story. Check back for more reporting and photos.This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River is Little League Softball World Series-bound

Should Texas national title-or-bust talk be directed more at Arch Manning or Steve Sarkisian? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Is it national championship-or-bust for Texas? If so, who is more responsible to make it happen?ESPN's "First Take" tossed this soon-to-be season-long narrative around at SEC Media Days on Thursday with Paul Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith. A hyped-up Texas team in July is nothing new. The Longhorns have a top-five ranking, a roster full of NFL Draft-ready talent and Arch Manning is plastered across the Sporting News College Football 2026 Preview magazine.So naturally, this question became whether it's a national championship-or-bust year for Manning in 2026."Absolutely, because this is one of those heralded players in college football history," Finebaum said. "We know what happened last year, but what is going to happen this year? If he finishes his career with any sort of title or any sort of playoff, there is no other way to characterize it. You hate to do it because of all of the good things about him and his family, but that's just the reality of the situation."Then something curious happened, and it wasn't the part where Smith pushed back with the belief Manning will go on to a productive NFL career.Finebaum back-tracked and put the pressure on Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. Smith followed."I lamented how Steve Sarkisian who I like by the way was too busy literally trying to assuage the concerns surrounding Arch Manning that he forgot to be the coach we knew him to be that got him the job at Texas," Smith said. "As far as I'm concerned, there is just as much if not more pressure on him, then there is on Arch Manning,"Who has more pressure on them this season? That's an easy answer after looking at what's on the line for Manning and Sarkisian.MORE:Lane Kiffin ditches social media as pressure ramps upHow much pressure on Arch Manning in Year 2 at Texas?We know what happened with Manning before last season. He was a Preseason All-American. Heisman Trophy favorite. Future No. 1 draft pick like his uncles Peyton and Eli. Sarkisian saw all that in real time."Arch Manning wasn't going around on social media saying, I'm going to be the first pick in the draft," Sarkisian said via Inside Texas. " He wasn't posting on social media, I'm going to be the Heisman Trophy winner. He quite frankly went under the radar and just worked really hard.""Before the season, Arch Manning wasn't going around posting I'm going to be the first pick in the draft'."Steve Sarkisian speaks on the pressure on Manning last season."He takes, in my opinion, some really tough criticism." pic.twitter.com/exh3OeuhWT Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) July 23, 2026Manning had a disastrous opener in a 14-7 loss to No. 1 Ohio State and threw two interceptions in a 29-21 loss at Florida on Oct. 4. Manning was labeled a bust five starts into the season, even if that label was just as premature as the hype."He doesn't play great and we don't play great and he takes in my opinion some real tough criticism, and some would take disrespectful criticism, but he didn't complain about it," Sarkisian said.Then, Manning turned up. In Texas' last seven regular-season games, Manning finished 146 of 235 (62.1%) for an average of 255.9 passing yards per game with 13 TDs and two interceptions. He closed the season with 221 passing yards, 155 passing yards and four total TDs in a 41-27 victory against No. 18 Michigan.Guess where Manning is now? Preseason All-American. Heisman Trophy favorite. Future No. 1 draft pick like his uncles Peyton and Eli. Plus, when is the last time a quarterback was held to a national championship or bust standard? Bryce Young at Alabama?Young was a backup on the national championship team in 2020. He didn't win a national title as a starter, but he was a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick. After some growing pains, Young led the Carolina Panthers to the NFL playoffs last season.Falling short of a national championship at Texas likely won't change when the real pressure begins for Manning. Peyton and Eli didn't win the Heisman or the national title though fans in Knoxville are still angry about the 1997 Heisman Trophy voting. Arch will be compared more to his uncles at the next level.That doesn't mean every pre-snap read won't be over-analyzed this season at Texas, but the quarterback appears prepared for that scrutiny heading into the rematch with Ohio State on Sept. 12."Week 2 is a big game, but we've got a bunch of big games and so we're just going to take it one day at a time," Manning said on Thursday. Imagn Images How much pressure is on Steve Sarkisian in 2026?On "First Take," Finebaum aggressively pushed the pressure in Sarkisian's direction."If they don't make it far as you said, the questions have to be asked about Steve Sarkisian," Finebaum said. "He's been to the playoff twice. We know all that, because he's been to the playoff twice. We're reminded of that by Texas officials every day. The problem is he has an amazing team."Texas does have an amazing team. The Longhorns have six players on our 2027 NFL Draft Big Board, including Manning, edge rusher Colin Simmons, Auburn transfer receiver Cam Coleman and Pitt transfer linebacker Rasheem Biles. The backfield features Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown and NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers.Yes, this team is one of the most-talented teams in the FBS. Sarkisian led the Longhorns to the CFP semifinals in two of the last three seasons. Texas is 35-8 in that stretch an .814 winning percentage that is sixth in the FBS behind Oregon (38-5. .884), Ohio State (37-6, .861), Georgia (36-6, .857), Notre Dame (34-7, .829) and Ole Miss (34-7 .829). Lane Kiffin who was an assistant coach with Sarkisian at USC from 2001-03 left the Rebels to take the LSU job this season.If this were basketball, two Final Fours in three years would be universally praised. But this isn't basketball. It's Texas. The state has five programs in our Preseason Top 25. This is without question, Sarkisian's best team since he arrived and the blame would fall on him more than anyone else should the Longhorns not at least make the CFP in two seasons with Manning as the starter.So, yes, there is without a doubt more pressure on Sarkisian than Manning, but does that really mean national championship or bust? We'll see how that narrative spins after the Ohio State rematch. Sarkisian is 6-9 against top-10 teams at Texas, but the record drops to 2-7 against top-five teams.Texas is 0-5 against Georgia and Ohio State under Sarkisian. Those are the heavyweight games the Longhorns need to win to end that national title-or-bust talk. He'll have to do it with Manning who endorsed his coach at SEC Media Days."We all like him," Manning said. "We all trust him. I like him. I'm excited for year 2."Steve Sarkisian vs. top-10 teams at TexasA look at Sarkisian's record against top-10 teams at Texas since 2021:YEARSCORERESULTOct. 9, 2021vs. No. 6 OklahomaL 55-48Sept. 10, 2022vs. No. 1 AlabamaL 20-19Nov. 12, 2022vs. No. 4 TCUL 17-10Sept. 9, 2023at No. 3 AlabamaW 34-30Jan. 1, 2024vs. No. 2 Washington*L 37-31Sept. 7, 2024at No. 10 MichiganW 31-12Oct, 19. 2024vs. No. 5 GeorgiaL 30-15Dec. 7, 2024vs. No. 5 Georgia**L 22-19Jan. 1, 2025vs. No. 4 Arizona State*W 39-31Jan. 10, 2025vs. No. 8 Ohio State*L 28-14Aug. 30, 2025at No. 3 Ohio StateL 14-7Oct. 11, 2025vs. No. 6 OklahomaW 23-6Nov. 1, 2025vs. No. 9 VanderbiltW 34-31Nov. 15, 2025at No. 5 GeorgiaL 35-10Nov. 28, 2025vs. No. 3 Texas A&MW 27-17*Denotes CFP game**Denotes SEC championship gameMORE:College Football playoff, bowl predictions

WORCESTER While Chad Tracy sat inside his office at Polar Park around 5 p.m. on April 25, the former WooSox manager made a rare call to his wife, Emily, during the middle of a Triple-A game.Drenched in sweat and coated in mulch from her fingertips to toes, Emily, who was in the middle of landscaping the front yard of their home in Fairfield, Ohio, answered the phone.I said, Darn, what did you get kicked out of the game for? Emily recalled. He said, Em, are you sitting down? You start to go into panic mode that something bad happened. But he told me a plane was coming to pick him up that night to go manage (the Boston Red Sox) in Baltimore the next day.I was speechless.Nearly four hours after telling his wife hed been named interim manager of the Boston Red Sox, Tracy rolled a black suitcase through the lower bowel of Polar Park and left to board a plane headed for Baltimore.Its been a whirlwind ever since for the Tracys.'It was special': Chad Tracy wins first game at Fenway Park as Red Sox interim managerOn Thursday, for the first time since that eventful day, Tracy stepped foot inside Polar Park to be enshrined in the WooSox Hall of Fame.Ive done a lot of cool things in baseball over the course of my life but have never been inducted into any type of Hall of Fame, Tracy said on Cassells Corner podcast earlier this year. Ive literally spent more time (at Polar Park in the last five years) than Ive spent at my own home.So, this place has become like a second home, or a first home in a lot of ways, because of how much time Ive spent here, and weve had a lot of good times and a lot of success. So, Im pretty proud and flattered and thrilled to have that happen.Before Chad Tracy is enshrined in the WooSox Hall of Fame later today, I asked the former Worcester Red Sox manager and current Boston Red Sox interim manager what it meant to be inducted into the Triple-A club's Hall of Fame.Here's what Tracy said on Cassell's Corner podcast: pic.twitter.com/6AhTKreKBP Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) July 23, 2026A fairy tale journeyWhile some wondered if Chad Tracy would return for a fifth season as the WooSox manager, the baseball lifer known as Trace was back overseeing the Red Sox Triple-A club this year.At least until April 25, when he was pulled from the dugout during the third inning of Worcesters game and told by Red Sox brass that he was being called up to Boston.To finally get that call and to witness anyones dream coming true, how do you put that into words? Emily told the T&G. Not just anybody but your husband. Its hard to explain how crazy and cool its been.From strangers to best buddies: How Jose Flores and Chad Tracy's relationship blossomed beyond baseballSince being named interim manager of the Boston Red Sox, Tracy has pulled the big-league club out from the bottom of the American League East standings and into third place. The Red Sox recently won 15 games in a row and currently own a 52-49 record, good enough for the third wildcard spot in the AL playoff race.To be doing what hes doing, I couldnt be prouder of him, said Tracys father, Jim. And I really believe that his ballclub takes on his personality.Nothing short of a fairy tale, said Tracys mother, Debra.Before his promotion to Boston, the calm, cool and collected manager possessed a 323-295 overall record with the WooSox. Tracy led the Triple-A club to winning seasons in each of his first four years at the helm (2022-25) and became the first Red Sox Triple-A manager to accomplish that feat dating back to at least the 1930s.During his time in Worcester, Tracy oversaw the development of current Red Sox players Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Connelly Early, Ceddanne Rafaela and Payton Tolle, just to name a few.The second manager in WooSox history, Tracy also had 176 wins in three years as a Minor League manager in the Los Angeles Angels system from 2015-17. His first victory with the Boston Red Sox during his MLB debut in Baltimore on April 26 was the 500th win of his managerial career.Growing up and moving around with baseball, (Tracys) mom used to always say, Heres to another Tracy adventure, Emily said. So, we always use that, too. Heres to another Tracy adventure.Tracy spent his childhood in and around MLB clubhouses. His dad played in the Major Leagues and served as a big-league manager for 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2001-05), Pittsburgh Pirates (2006-07) and Colorado Rockies (2009-12).A star catcher at Pepperdine University, where he was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2005, Tracy was selected by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. In nine professional seasons, all in the minor leagues (2006-13) and independent Atlantic League (2013-14), Tracy hit .267 with 159 home runs and 706 RBIs.He reached Triple-A but never made the jump to the big leagues as a player.He was so close to being a Major League player, his father said. That part never really happened.Following managerial stints with Class-A Burlington (2015) and High-A Inland Empire (2016-2017), Tracy spent four seasons as the Angels minor league field coordinator. He then joined the Red Sox organization and served as their Triple-A manager for parts of five seasons.During that time, Worcester became part of the Tracy family fabric.Chad just felt so at home there, his mom said. We knew it was a special place.Said Tracy: This place means the world to me.That place will always be the most special place Ive ever been in my 17 years of doing this baseball life with him, his wife said. Its just unmatched.No place like homeShortly after Chad Tracy told his wife about his call up to Boston, their 11-year-old daughter, Avery, asked a question.Do we get to go back to Polar Park and see our people? Emily recalled.On Thursday, Tracy, his wife, two kids and parents swung by Polar Park for his induction into the WooSox Hall of Fame. It marked Tracys second pit stop in Worcester since joining the Red Sox after he stopped by a few months ago to collect some personal belongings.Tracy joins Dr. Charles Steinberg, Mark Fidrych and Gene Zabinski in the 2026 class.I cant think of someone more deserving," Red Sox senior director of player development Brain Abraham said.Im just really happy for him, WooSox infielder Nick Sogard said. Hes someone that Ill always root for and wish the best for.This is only the beginning, WooSox acting manager Iggy Suarez said.During Tracys portion of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the club played a video montage of people congratulating the former WooSox manager on securing a permanent spot in the Triple-A clubs history."What an awesome honor. You totally deserve it, Daddy, his 8-year-old son, Austin, said.From one manager to another, and from a father to a son, I cant tell you how proud I am, his dad said.While the road to the big leagues was long and windy for Tracy, it was paved by his time with Worcester. And on Thursday, Chad Tracy returned to the place he once called home to be enshrined in the WooSox Hall of Fame.His legacy forever cemented in the Canal District. Another Tracy adventure.When you spend a lot of time somewhere, and somebody tells you that were going to put a plaque or a thing up in the outfield and your names going to forever be attached to this place, that kind of hits you a little bit, Tracy said. Thats really cool and Ive spent enough time here where this place has become pretty special to me.So, to know that it will always be attached to it in some way is a pretty special feeling.Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'This place means the world to me': Chad Tracy enshrined in WooSox Hall of Fame

Diego Pavia's time with the Baltimore Ravens has come to a quick end. The Ravens waived the former Vanderbilt star quarterback just before the start of training camp, the team announced Thursday. Baltimore picked up Pavia as an undrafted free agent following April's NFL Draft. The Ravens had some familiarity with Pavia through head coach Jesse Minter. Minter served as the Commodores' defensive coordinator under head coach Clark Lea in 2021, who was Pavia's head coach in his final two seasons with Vanderbilt. Pavia's final season with the Commodores was nothing short of impressive. He had 3,539 passing yards, a 70.6% completion rate, 29 touchdown passes (which led the SEC) and just eight interceptions. On the ground, Pavia also added 862 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. On top of being Vanderbilts first-ever Heisman finalist last season finishing second in voting behind Fernando Mendoza Pavia also led Vanderbilt to a historic 10-win season. Heading into training camp, which starts on Wednesday, Pavia was in contention for the Ravens' third-string quarterback spot behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Now, the competition for No. 3 is between veteran Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano, whos an undrafted free agent from Connecticut. The Ravens' decision to waive Pavia gave veteran center Ethan Pocic a spot on the 90-man roster for training camp, as he'll be a part of the competition to replace three-time Pro Bowler after he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

Bailey Phillips got to live one of the best days of her life all over again, this time watching it on a screen surrounded by the people who love her most.Her eight-minute segment aired nationally on July 23 for the first time as part of ESPN's "My Wish" series, chronicling her ultimate Tennessee football gameday with the Vols. Make-A-Wish East Tennessee marked the moment with a watch party at The Wishing Place powered by JTV."It was good," Bailey said of having her family and friends there to watch it with her.It was the first wish UT athletics had ever granted, according to her grandfather, John Rosser."A lot of tears are running out of my eyes," Rosser said. "But it brought back some very good memories of what she was able to go through."Bailey, a 16-year-old from Powell, was diagnosed with cystinosis as an infant, a genetic disorder that builds crystals throughout the body, threatening organ function and eyesight. Her mother, April Phillips, recalled the day doctors delivered the diagnosis in the ESPN feature, saying she remembers little beyond two words: rare and incurable.She said she also carried the weight of knowing a kidney transplant for Bailey was inevitable, and at 13, Bailey's kidneys began failing. By August 2024 they had stopped working altogether, putting her on home dialysis.Rosser said the family's church, Ridgeview Baptist, helped build a prayer chain of close to 20,000 people asking for a matching donor. A kidney became available within about two months, and Bailey received a transplant that fall at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital."The kidney started working before the surgery had even finished," Rosser said doctors told the family. Bailey walked out of the hospital five days later.Before her big day on Sept. 20, Bailey had never attended a Vols football game. So when Make-A-Wish East Tennessee learned about her story, it tried to make the wish as special as possible. The reveal came at Ridgeview Baptist Church, where Smokey the mascot surprised her with a letter from coach Josh Heupel, read by her pastor, inviting Bailey and her family to join the Vols for the football game against UAB.The day before the game, Bailey received a tour of Neyland Stadium and met coaches from across the athletic department. She was introduced to the players by Heupel, who handed her a custom jersey with the No. 6, matching her favorite player, quarterback Joey Aguilar. She also painted a corner of Neyland Stadium's famous checkerboard end zone for the game.On game day, Bailey walked her own shortened Vol Walk before watching the real one come through from inside the barricades at Peyton Manning Pass. She finished the Vol Walk into the stadium, helped lead the Pride of the Southland Band through "Rocky Top," and later watched as Aguilar threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-24 win, including a 39-yard score by wide receiver Mike Matthews that landed in the end zone corner she had painted a day earlier.Meeting the football team and getting out on the field meant the most to Bailey, she said."That was probably my favorite," she said of meeting Aguilar.Garrett Wagley, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish East Tennessee, said the ESPN partnership gives wishes like Bailey's a national stage."It's really incredible, what a platform to tell an incredible story about perseverance and joy," Wagley said, adding that research shows children who receive wishes tend to have better medical outcomes.Former Tennessee quarterback Sterling Henton, now the gameday DJ known as "Sterl the Pearl," met Bailey at the game, when she briefly took over as "DJ Bailey." He came back to the watch party to support her again."It's phenomenal that a thing like Make-A-Wish can make moments like this happen for people like her," Henton said.Rosser said Bailey has never once complained through years of surgeries, pills and hospital stays. That resolve was tested again recently, when Bailey underwent brain surgery three weeks ago, another chapter in a medical journey that has spanned nearly her entire life. She was smiling at the watch party anyway, dressed in orange and white checkerboard overalls, a call to her pride as a Vols fan, and a nod to the end zone she painted."No matter what the pain is or whatever," Rosser said. "If her smile is not there, she's not feeling good. That's how we know. Otherwise, she smiles all the time."Xavier Burton is a sports intern for Knox News. Email:Xavier.burton@knoxnews.comThis article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Painting checkerboard, game day wish with Tennessee football fulfilled by Powell teen

Mid-Illini Conference football is coming to Dozer Park.Morton and Metamora will play their Week 9 league game on Friday, Oct. 16 at the home of the Peoria Chiefs. This game was originally scheduled to be played at Carper Field in Morton.However, Potters coach Adam O'Neill announced the venue change via social media on Thursday, July 23 with a graphic titled, 'Dozer Dust Up.'"Excited news for the @pottersfootball," he posted. "Week 9 we will be playing at Dozer Field in Peoria"More: The top high school football teams in Illinois for 2026, according to the Massey RatingsExcited news for the @pottersfootballWeek 9 we will be playing at Dozer Field in Peoria pic.twitter.com/ZtTlxwvGRo Coach ONeill TurnoverD (@23adamoneill) July 23, 2026This is the first time two teams from the Mid-Illini will play on the 24-year-old baseball field. Since 2015, Peoria Notre Dame has hosted a 'Shamrock Classic' game at Dozer Park, with their Sept. 25 homecoming game against Danville being the 11th edition.Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Dozer Dust Up': Mid-Illini football rivals set to meet at Dozer Park

Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesThe Carolina Panthers opened training camp this week ahead of their NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals. And on the first day of training camp practice, the Panthers defense suffered a brutal blow.Panthers linebacker Nic Scourton suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee during practice on Thursday. NFL Networks Cameron Wolfe delivered a report with the breaking news on ESPN.Breaking News: Carolina Panthers LB Nic Scourton tore his ACL in his right knee during the teams first day of training camp Thursday, sources told NFL Networks @RapSheet and @CameronWolfe.More about the news: pic.twitter.com/H5oXY6uBSD NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 23, 2026Scourton, 21, was selected by the Panthers in the second round (51st overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. The edge rusher started eight games in his rookie season, and he finished with five sacks, tied for first on Carolina. Pro Football Focus credited Scourton with 34 pressures.It was expected that Scourton would be a key part of the Carolina defense in 2026, and it was easy to see a potential leap into stardom for the highly talented pass rusher.<span class="mce_SELRES_start" data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;"></span>Scourton starred at Purdue and had a Big Ten-leading 10 sacks in the 2023 college football season before transferring to Texas A&M, where he had five sacks in 2024.This is extremely unfortunate for Scourton, and its a big loss for the Carolina defense.The Panthers did sign Jaelan Phillips, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, to a four-year, $120 million contract over the offseason. The veteran edge rusher had five sacks last season (three sacks with the Dolphins, two with the Eagles).Patrick Jones and Princely Umanmielen are expected to be options to replace Scourton as a starting edge rusher for Carolina.Most NFL teams report to training camp next week, but the Panthers and Cardinals got started already, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game set for Aug. 6. No other teams have an NFL preseason game until Aug. 13.The post Carolina Panthers rising star tears ACL on day one of training camp appeared first on The Comeback: Todays Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Coleraine manager Ruaidhr Higgins says his side "contributed" to their own downfall in Thursday's 5-0 away defeat by HJK in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League second qualifying round tie.The Bannsiders were two down at the break through goals from Liam Moller and Pyry Mentu, while Toivo Mero added a third early in the second have with a quickfire brace by Teemu Pukki completing the rout.Higgins expressed his "disappointment" at the manner of the defeat but had no complaints as they now have a mountain to climb in next week's second leg at home."The manner of the goals we gave away and the timing were extremely disappointing," Higgins told Coleraine TV."We contributed to a lot of their goals and that's on us, so we have to accept it."A bad night for Coleraine was made worse as Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle were forced off with what Higgins described as "serious injuries".However, Higgins was not using injuries or his team's fitness levels being below HJK, who are in the middle of their domestic campaign, as an excuse."They are in their prime of fitness and we're just searching for fitness," he offered."Lads like [Joel] Cooper and [Will] Patching have had very little football in pre-season. Cameron Stewart picked up an injury last week, then two defensive-minded players like Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle pick up what looks like serious injuries."We were a bit makeshift, a bit disjointed, but we still have to do better as they didn't have to do much to score their goals."We have to learn from that and learn fast, take it on the chin and try to move on as fast as we can."

The coaching world is a small one, and as the days go by, it continues to get smaller.Every single guy is on a one-man mission to get to the top of the sport and become a head coach somewhere. For some, the grind is too much, but for others, they make a life out of it. Now, as the NFL is in a little bit of a transition phase to the young, braniac coaches, there is another layer of the coaching world that is getting exposed. The perfect example of this is with Todd Monken and the two guys the Ravens hired as their head coach and offensive coordinator.Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken was on the Ryan Ripken Show and was asked what his actual thoughts are about the Ravens' decision. In typical Monken fashion, he told the truth and nothing but the truth.Browns' head coach Todd Monken tells the truth about the Ravens' new coaching staff, be ready to laugh."It's bulls---," Monken exclaimed. " I don't know if everyone knows this. My first year as a GA at Notre Dame... in '91, I GA'd with Declan Doyle's dad, Chris Doyle... My second year at Notre Dame, I moved to defense, and I was a GA for Rick Minter, Jessie Minter's dad. It really just means my a-- is old. But, the reality is, I've got a ton of respect for those guys. They are fantastic coaches.""They are fantastic coaches and it's bullshit they're with the Ravens and we gotta play them twice a year. All this shit I talked to Declan about taking the job and now we're in the same damn division. I should've talked his ass out of it."Todd Monken was a GA under Jesse pic.twitter.com/rN7nWsaN9k Ryan Ripken (@ryanripkenshow) July 21, 2026Monken is a unique character in this business as he is getting his first-ever NFL head coaching job after cutting his teeth for over 35 years. He has seen a lot and met a lot of guys, including both of the Ravens' coaches' fathers.In 1991, when Monken got his first Graduate Assistant (GA) job at Notre Dame, he worked alongside Chris Doyle as assistants on the offensive side of the footbal. Then, the following year, he went to the other side of the football and began working with Rick Minter, Jessie's father, on the defensive side of the ball.Now, as he sits here today, he is going to compete with the second generation twice a year as long as they are all on the staff.Monken laughed, saying, "It really just means I'm an old man in this business," and that he really respects those two youngsters as coaches.It's a very fascinating thing to put yourself in the shoes of Monken, who has been around the block so many times, and it took him forever to get his opportunity. Then, he gets it; several coaches in the league are in their mid to early 30s, nearly 30 years younger than him.I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that this same story that he has with Minter and Doyle's fathers, he has with at least a couple of others in the league. The coaching world is a very small community, and the ones who make it meet so many people along the way.This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns' HC Todd Monken reacts hilariously, to Baltimore's new hires

TAMPA, Fla. Back in May, Lane Kiffin glanced down at his phone to see a good friend and SEC rival coach calling.Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had a message for his buddy Lane. While visiting the University of Texas campus, Knox Kiffin, Lanes son, had shared something with Sark about his father. My dad, Knox started, doesnt always hear or listen to me because hes on social media too much.This struck Sarkisian as something he should share with a fellow father. And, so, he did.Struck by the conversation, Lane approached Knox about eliminating social media from his life.No way youll do that, Knox told him.More than two months later, Lane Kiffin remains off social media applications, most notably Twitter, where for years he routinely fired up fan bases with incendiary posts, sarcastic messages and not-so-subtle jabs. Hes tweeted once since May 11, sending a poster of Michael Jordan with a message that reads, They have no idea who you are becoming. Time to go ghost. Kiffin told this tale about Sarkisians call privately in a walk-and-talk with a reporter Thursday as he lapped around the downtown Tampa Marriott. The SEC saved the best (or at least the most polarizing) for last, ending its four-day media event with a banger. Gracing the stages here were the new LSU coach and Texas, too, who brought here quarterback Arch Manning for a second straight year.Did the league do this as a way to prevent the some-odd 900 reporters attending to stick around through the last day? If so, it worked. Gaggles followed Lanes every move and hung on his every word.After all, he created quite the stir this offseason: leaving one SEC school for another before his former teams playoff run had even started and then dogging his ex-employer in several national publications (he did ultimately apologize). His Ole Miss exit caught enough attention that congressional lawmakers even created a provision in the latest college sports bill to prohibit coaches from leaving their team before that teams season ends a concept that U.S. senators openly refer to as the Lane Kiffin Rule.For those reasons and many more hes the villain of college football.He appears to know this, perhaps even embraces it.Kiffin compares his career roller coaster to that of wrestling star Hulk Hogan. They were each the villain, then the hero, then the villain again, he says, of their respective industries. Kiffin resurrected Ole Miss football. He quit drinking. He re-established close relationships with his children and ex-wife.In a way, you were more of a hero [at Ole Miss], he said Thursday. Its like people started cheering for you.And, then, he left Oxford for Baton Rouge in a controversial blaze, attempting to poach players (and coaches) before the Rebels playoff run and after the school rejected his request to coach through the postseason.Hero no more.Now, he said, youre back to the villain.Maybe thats not so bad. Maybe hes embraced the role like his childhood idol, Hogan.In the end, you watch his story and he became a hero. But during it, hes the villain, Kiffin says. Everybody hates you, but Hulk looked at it differently because he was purely entertainment. He says in his [TV] special that whether they were for or against me, they loved coming into the arena.Hogan died last July, a year after Kiffin lost his dad Monte. The two deaths his mother passed last year, too left a mark on a man forever known for his immature antics on the way out the door from one job to another.You start to realize youre going to die. Were all going to die, Kiffin said. Two people I grew up with that are now dead, that makes you realize everybody is going to die: my dad and Hulk Hogan.Whether you believe everything he says or not, Kiffin brought us into his mind during Thursdays media day circus: Hero. Villain. Death. Twitter.Hes one of one. Kiffin is the first man to coach three different SEC football teams (Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU). Ever.Of the three, the expectations in Baton Rouge may be the highest of them all. Three of the last four coaches at LSU won national championships by their fourth season, the school sits in one of the hottest recruiting regions of the country and the university is investing financially in both the roster and staff at nation-leading levels.The expectations have left Kiffin uncomfortable, he acknowledges. But he understands thats the price for his pay (a $13 million annual salary).Devoid of social media, Kiffin says hes now focused more on the job. His phone is now used for texts and calls only. He completely deleted all social media applications from his phone and has become a sort-of anti-social media spokesperson. Whod a thought it? he said laughing.Kiffin describes his former social media behavior as one would describe an addiction. Hes now relieved of it and its really refreshing, he said. Hes no longer as defensive in news conferences because hes not seeing negativity on his feed all day, he says, and hes no longer comparing his life to others.Comparisons are the thief of joy, he says. You dont compare. Youre scrolling all day long. You see people doing things. You start to compare your job, city, vacation, job, car, clothes.Kiffin has added social media to all the other things hes subtracted out of my life, he says, like toxic relationships and alcohol.He mostly gets his news now from longtime LSU associate athletic director Michael Bonnette, who heads football communications and has turned back the clock, so to speak, by occasionally leaving on Kiffins desk printed screenshots of the most important news from social media.The old way, Bonnette says with a chuckle on Thursday.As it turns out, Bonnette printed Ole Miss coach Pete Goldings comments about Kiffin from his Wednesday spin through media days. In his comments, Golding revealed how he recruited Ole Miss players to stay in Oxford and reject Kiffins overtures: He told them to Google Lane Kiffin to see the vitriol created from his departure to Baton Rouge.Thatll be you, Kiffin said, reciting what Golden told players.Kiffin chuckles a bit.He is, after all, the villain at least for now.Youll be a hero if you win, Kiffin says. I think of Coach [Nick] Saban. He became the hero again because he won, but he was a villain.