Sports in brief

Staff and wire reports |

6/20/2008 - 6/21/08

Los Alamos hires Anaya as coach

Roger Anaya's softball coaching experience has come in the Little League ranks, but his personality won him a varsity program.

Anaya was hired Friday as the head coach for the Los Alamos High School softball program, athletic director Vicki Nelms said. Anaya replaces Randy Burditt, who resigned after the Lady Hilltoppers were eliminated from the double-elimination Class AAAA State Tournament.

Anaya was hired from a pool of four candidates, three of whom were interviewed. It is Anaya's first job coaching at the high school level. He has coached Little League teams in White Rock, Nelms said.

"I think this came down to the fact that he just seemed to be a great fit with where we wanted the program to go," Nelms said. "He has a lot of enthusiasm."

Nelms also said she expects to have a hire for the vacant swimming and girls basketball coaching positions by next week.

NMAA fines Los Alamos

The New Mexico Activities Association hit Los Alamos High School with a $2,500 fine for violating off-season coaching rules.

Los Alamos athletic director Vicki Nelms said coaches from the baseball and softball programs violated NMAA bylaw 7.4. It states, "There shall be no out-of-season coaching during the school year of current or potential athletes, including feeder-school students beginning at the 7th grade ... "

The coaches were on summer league teams that included their children and seventh-graders in late May before school was out of session.

"I think they thought because their kids were on the team and all of the sports were out that it was OK," Nelms said. "But now they know."

Nelms reported the violation to the NMAA in early June. The school could have been fined as much as $5,000, but it was reduced since Los Alamos reported it. The school is also under probation and could face stiffer penalties — including exclusion from postseason events — if further violations are discovered.

Blue Jays fire Gibbons, coaches

PITTSBURGH — John Gibbons was fired Friday by the last-place Toronto Blue Jays and replaced by Cito Gaston, who led the team to World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

He is the third major-league manager to be fired this week, following Willie Randolph of the New York Mets and John McLaren of the Seattle Mariners.

The Jays also fired three of Gibbons' coaches — Marty Pevey, Ernie Whitt and Gary Denbo.

Lopes hired as Idaho assistant

MOSCOW, Idaho — Former Fresno State basketball coach Ray Lopes, who lost his job because of recruiting violations, has been hired as an assistant basketball coach at Idaho.

Lopes spent the past two years as associate head coach of the minor league Idaho Stampede in Boise. The team finished 36-14 last season on its way to the 2007-08 NBA D League Championship.

Lopes led Fresno State to the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title in 2003.

Gatlin granted restraining order

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Florida federal judge says banned sprinter Justin Gatlin should be allowed to compete at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

U.S. District Judge Lacey A. Collier's temporary restraining order is only in effect for 10 days, and the trials don't begin until June 27 in Eugene, Ore.

Collier set a Monday hearing in Pensacola to discuss the order.