Sports
NC State coach Will Wade denies interest in LSU reunion
Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade with forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images As North Carolina State’s ACC tournament run came to an end Thursday, head coach Will Wade said he has every intention of getting his current program back to prominence and does not have an eye on his former job.
Wade, who was the head coach at LSU for five seasons through 2021-22, was asked if he would have any interest in returning to the Tigers. Current LSU head coach head coach Matt McMahon is on the hot seat after consecutive losing seasons.
“Is the job open there? No?” Wade said when asked if he had been contacted from anybody at his former program.
“Listen, let me be very clear: I’m excited at NC State,” said Wade, who is in his first season with the Wolfpack. “I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn’t going to take one year. I’ve already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes that we need to make and some of the things that we need to do to put this program where it deserves long-term.”
The Wolfpack have gone 20-12 overall and went 10-8 during ACC regular-season play. NC State earned a 98-88 victory over Pitt in the second round of the ACC tournament Wednesday, then lost 81-74 to Virginia on Thursday.
McMahon took over as LSU head coach in 2022-23 but has never posted a winning record in SEC play and has gone 3-15 in the conference each of the past two seasons.
Wade, though, reiterated that he is happy where his feet are planted.
“Look, we’re going to win and we’re going to win big at NC State,” Wade said. “That’s what we’re going to do. That’s what we’re going to do moving forward. We have the resources we need. We have what we need, and it’s on me and my staff to get the job done.”
The Wolfpack were 9-2 at the outset of ACC play before losing six of their last seven regular-season games. Projections still have NC State included in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, with the field set to be revealed Sunday.
“This year hasn’t gone exactly how we wanted it to, but we’re going to rally and we’re going to work hard and we’re going to have a team next year that’s ready to roll,” Wade said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Chiefs get help at CB with signing of Kader Kohou
Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) celebrates following an interception against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images The Kansas City Chiefs are signing cornerback Kader Kohou, a former starter with the Miami Dolphins who missed all of last season with a partially torn ACL, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Kohou, 27, can help the Chiefs replace departed cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (trade) and Jaylen Watson (free agency), both now on the Los Angeles Rams. He played both nickel and outside corner roles with the Dolphins.
Kohou stared 38 of his 47 regular-season games with Miami from 2022-24, totaling 180 tackles, three interceptions, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack. He also started two playoff games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
Aug 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) warms up before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Cincinnati Bengals are set to sign defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million contract, according to multiple reports Thursday.
The deal could be worth up to $28 million with incentives for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, ESPN reported.
Allen, 31, started all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season and had 68 tackles with 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and one fumble recovery.
The Vikings released Allen on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year, for salary cap considerations. Last offseason, the former Washington Commanders standout signed a three-year, $51 million contract with $31 million guaranteed.
Allen joins new Bengals edge rusher Boye Mafe, who left the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent and signed a three-year contract in Cincinnati valued at a reported $60 million.
Allen has 469 career tackles with 45.5 sacks, 67 tackles for loss, 129 QB hits, one interception, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 126 regular-season games (125 starts). He played his first eight seasons with the Commanders.
Washington selected Allen with the 17th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trump advises Iran team to skip World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; FIFA President Gianni Infantino and United States of America President Donald Trump arrive on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Ernst-Reuters via Imagn Images President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Iran’s national soccer team should withdraw from the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that Iran is welcome to play this summer in the United States, “but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Each of Iran’s three group stage matches is scheduled to take place on American soil.
The Iranians open Group G play in Inglewood, Calif., against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. They are slated to face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The U.S. and Israel initiated war with Iran on Feb. 28 with a series of airstrikes that killed the longtime Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khameini, and other officials.
Iran’s national sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, reportedly told state television this week that the country could not participate in the World Cup following Khameini’s death.
The White House did not immediately explain the reference to “safety” in Trump’s post, which seemed to conflict with what he said in a recent meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”
The 48-team World Cup, the largest in tournament history, runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Iran planned to train in Tucson, Ariz., before the group stage.
Ranked No. 20 in the world, the Iranians qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time last March as one of the top sides in the Asian Football Confederation. They were eliminated from the group stage in 2022 with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. in Doha, Qatar.
Iranian athletes and coaches are exempt from the travel ban Trump imposed against their country last June.
–Field Level Media
Report: Chiefs get help at CB with signing of Kader Kohou
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
