Harvard hires Amaker

Harvard hired Tommy Amaker to coach its men's basketball team, less than a month after he was fired by Michigan.

Amaker, who played at Duke and was a Blue Devils assistant, has been a head coach at Michigan and Seton Hall.

Frank Sullivan's contract with Harvard was not renewed after the Crimson went 12-16 overall and 5-9 in the Ivy League this past season, and 178-245 over 16 years. Harvard hasn't played in the NCAA tournament since 1946.

More college basketball

Former Olympic and WNBA coach Van Chancellor was hired as the women's coach at LSU, succeeding Pokey Chatman. He intends to keep the coaching staff left behind when Chatman abruptly resigned a month ago just before the NCAA tournament for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a former player. Chancellor singled out for mention assistant Bob Starkey, who took over the team and guided the squad to its fourth consecutive Final Four appearance.

Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz has been granted permission to talk with South Alabama officials about the school's head coaching job. Lutz is 168-112 in nine seasons with the 49ers.

Scott Sutton, who led Oral Roberts to consecutive NCAA berths, said he is withdrawing from consideration to be Wichita State's next men's coach.

Kentucky women's coach Mickie DeMoss abruptly resigned after four seasons, saying she wants to step away from the game after 30 years.

Joanne Boyle is staying at California instead of bolting for Duke. The Golden Bears women's coach verbally agreed to a new seven-year contract to remain in Berkeley through the 2013-14 season after leading her team to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

Auto racing

Buddy Lazier, the 1996 Indianapolis 500 champion, plans to return to the cockpit in May with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Lazier has not driven in the Indy Racing League's first two races of the season nor does he anticipate competing in the next two races -- at Japan and Kansas City, Kan. -- before heading to Indianapolis.

Tennis

Top-seeded David Ferrer pulled out of the Valencia Open in Spain with a back injury.

Venus Williams needed only 49 minutes to reach the third round of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., defeating Vasilisa Bardina, 6-2, 6-1, in a match briefly suspended because of rain.

Harness racing

Star driver Dave Palone was diagnosed with multiple fractures of the upper right femur, or thighbone, after a crash in a race Tuesday night at The Meadows. Doctors will perform surgery today to insert a rod and pins and believe they can accomplish everything they need to in a single surgery. The injured leg won't be able to bear weight for six weeks, which will be followed by rehabilitation.

Unbeaten Curlin is the morning-line favorite for the Arkansas Derby in Hot Springs Saturday, the final of Oaklawn Park's three Kentucky Derby prep races. He is a 7-5 favorite for 1 1/8-mile race and received the No. 2 spot in the draw.

Baseball

The Pitt-Duquesne game scheduled last night for Falconi Field in Washington was cancelled. The game will not be rescheduled.

The Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League signed right-hander Justin Staatz.