Names In The News

Smith Becomes Univ. Of Minnesota's Highest-Paid Employee With Deal

Univ. of Minnesota men’s basketball coach TUBBY SMITH formally signed a seven-year contract with the school on Monday, becoming the “highest-paid employee in [school] history.” Smith can earn over $13M during the life of the deal, including base, supplemental and camp money, and he could receive “additional money in incentives that could boost his annual salary to more than $3.3[M] this year.” He will also get a car, tickets to school athletic events, reimbursed travel expenses to games for his family and retirement money (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/12).

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Pro Football HOFer JOE NAMATH will receive his BA degree from the Univ. of Alabama on Saturday, more than 40 years after he left school to join the Jets. Namath has spent the last five years working toward his degree through the school’s External Degree program (USA TODAY, 12/12).

NAMES: Penguins C SIDNEY CROSBY was named the winner of the LOU MARSH TROPHY, presented annually to the top Canadian athlete. Crosby beat out Suns G STEVE NASH, who won the award in ’05, skier ERIK GUAY, kayaker and ’04 winner ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN and IBF super bantamweight champion STEVE MOLITOR (Mult., 12/12)…. MORRIS LEVY’s MEGA Films has acquired the film rights to boxer ROCKY MARCIANO from his family and will produce a feature-length picture based on a script written by TERRI APPLE. Apple also has obtained the life rights to former boxer AARON PRYOR (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/12)….Attorneys for the Locker Room Bar & Grille in Pittsburgh, which is partially owned by Steelers WR HINES WARD, filed for bankruptcy protection days before its two primary co-Owners were to face contempt charges for failing to repay $122,000 they stole from the restaurant (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/12).

BEST WISHES: Astros radio announcer MILO HAMILTON underwent hip replacement surgery yesterday in Houston. The 80-year-old Hamilton also suffered a heart attack in October (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/12).

IN MEMORY: TV producer and thoroughbred owner and trainer ROGER KING died last week at the age of 63 following a stroke. King was King World Productions Chair and produced such shows as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” (Mult., 12/11).