Parcells retires from Dallas Cowboys
IRVING, Texas, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Bill Parcells announced Monday he was retiring as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Parcells had coached the Cowboys since 2003 and was 34-30 over his four seasons with Dallas. The Cowboys were 9-7 in the regular season but were defeated in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
It was the fourth NFL team Parcells had led.
"I am retiring from coaching football," Parcells said in a statement released by the Cowboys. He thanked the Cowboys' front office, coaching staff and players.
"I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time. I leave the game and the NFL with nothing but good feelings and gratitude to all the players, coaches and other people that have assisted me in that regard," Parcells said.
He has an overall head coaching mark of 172-130-1 in the regular season with the Cowboys, New York Jets, New England Patriots and New York Giants, winning two Super Bowl titles during an eight-year run with the Giants.
Tomlin to coach Steelers
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, is the choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers to become the team's head coach.
The Steelers said Monday Tomlin would become the 16th head coach in the franchise's history. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had earlier reported that Tomlin had agreed to a four-year deal but other details were still being worked out.
Tomlin would replace Bill Cowher, who resigned this month after the team completed an 8-8 season and one year removed from a Super Bowl championship.
Tomlin, 34, spent one year with the Vikings after five seasons coaching defensive backs for Tampa Bay. He previously coached at four colleges.
The next coach at the Steelers will be just the third since 1969. Chuck Noll led the team for 23 years and Cowher was coach for 15.
Bengals CB Joseph arrested
CINCINNATI, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph was arrested Monday and charged with possession of marijuana.
He is the ninth Bengals player arrested in the last 13 months and the fifth Cincinnati player from the draft classes of 2005 and 2006 to be arrested, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The team had no comment on the latest incident, citing a policy regarding legal concerns of a player, the newspaper said.
The Enquirer said Joseph arrested about 2:15 a.m. after a traffic stop involving a car in which he was riding. The woman driving the car told police she was eating when she was stopped. Officers alleged the car was weaving across lanes of traffic at a slow rate of speed. The driver was charged with careless driving and operating on a suspended license.
Joseph was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana after police allegedly smelled marijuana during the traffic stop and checked a backpack in the vehicle. He was released from the Boone County jail but a court appearance has not been scheduled, the Enquirer said.
Nadal advances, Blake out at Australian
MELBOURNE, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Rafael Nadal survived a five-set match but No. 5 James Blake was defeated in fourth-round play Monday at the Australian Open.
Nadal dropped two of the first three sets before rallying for a 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over 15th-seeded Andy Murray to make it to his first Australian Open quarterfinal.
He will next go against 10th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez who upset Blake in three tough sets 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Gonzalez saved three set points in the first set to grab the lead he never lost.
Also advancing Monday were third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, who ousted No. 13 Tomas Berdych 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) and 12-seeded Tommy Hass, who eliminated No. 8 David Nalbandian 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Haas and Davydenko are paired in a quarterfinal.
The other two 2007 Australian Open quarterfinals pit No. 1 Roger Federer against seventh-seeded Tommy Robredo and No. 6 Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish, the only unseeded player left in the men's draw.
