Longtime Pitt-Johnstown men’s basketball coach Rukavina retires
Legendary Pitt-Johnstown men’s basketball coach Bob Rukavina, who has ties to the Alle-Kiski Valley, has retired after 37 seasons, 47 overall in coaching. “Coach Ruk,” a longtime Lower Burrell resident, registered 577 wins and a .580 winning percentage while guiding the Mountain Cats to five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances...
Scuffling Rangers place JT Miller on injured reserve
The New York Rangers placed captain J.T. Miller on injured reserve Tuesday with an upper-body injury. Sources told ESPN, it is a new injury that Miller, a Coraopolis native, suffered in Monday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Miller, in his first season as Rangers captain, has been...
Robert Morris’ Goode happy to be part of Horizon League title defense
DeSean Goode observed with great interest the amazing scene unfolding on a campus just outside Pittsburgh a year ago as the college basketball season picked up its usual maddening pace come March. What he witnessed, mostly from afar, was a hyper-competitive team, led by its laser-focused coach, careening into the...
Pirates’ Paul Skenes solid as U.S. cruises past Giants in tuneup for World Baseball Classic
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The United States wasted little time showing how potent its roster could be at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Americans needed just three batters to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning of their exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday after Bobby...
For Bethel Park’s Justin Meis, pitching for Colombia against Pirates ‘definitely different’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Justin Meis was so flustered after he finished the fourth inning that he went to the wrong dugout. Meis could only laugh, knowing it was an understandable mistake. The 26-year-old right-hander, who spent last season with Double-A Altoona, pitched for Team Colombia in a 7-1 loss to...
Cardinals inform 2-time Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray they plan to release him next week
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have informed two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray that they plan to release him at the beginning of the new league year on March 11, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of...
Pitt rides one of its best performances of season into home finale vs. Florida State
There’s a short list for the top moment of the season for Pitt men’s basketball. It would be hard to top Damarco Minor’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift Pitt over Ohio State at home Nov. 28. Similarly, the Panthers’ 34-point thrashing of Penn State on Dec. 21 in Hershey was impressive....
Top-rated CB draft prospect Mansoor Delane likely won’t fall to them, but plays like a Steeler
By the nature of the position he plays, coverage skills are paramount. And it should come as no surprise that the consensus No. 1 cornerback prospect for next month’s NFL Draft was graded as the second-best in coverage among power-conference corners by Pro Football Focus. What perhaps might come as...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Upon further review, Ben Roethlisberger performed an absolute miracle in his final season
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less (or more, in this case) His unqualified coordinator had never called an NFL play. His top receiver sometimes ran backwards and would be run straight out of the league by his late 20s. His No. 2 receiver would be...
Pitt QB Mason Heintschel, LB Braylan Lovelace seek out larger leadership roles
Mason Heintschel’s rise last season from third-string quarterback to starter to becoming arguably the most important player on Pitt’s roster was nothing short of meteoric. Heintschel, a true freshman who took over under center in Week 5 of the 2025 campaign, handled things well, going 6-3 as starter. But as...
Matt Campbell shifting culture of Penn State football
The cracks started show in Penn State’s 2025 foundation as soon as Terry Smith turned the team around in his time as interim head coach. He had a talented group finally playing more freely. It was no coincidence that a team once expected to compete for a national title, despite...
Pitt fires women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi
In the immediate aftermath of a third straight disappointing season, Pitt fired women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi on Tuesday morning, athletic director Allen Greene announced. The Panthers went 8-23 (1-17 ACC) this season, finishing second-last in the league while tying for the second-fewest conference wins in program history. “After a...
Team USA sets pitcher rotation for World Baseball Classic, including Pirates’ Paul Skenes
PHOENIX — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start on the mound for Team USA in its first World Baseball Classic game Friday night against Brazil, manager Mark DeRosa said Monday. DeRosa added that two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is expected to start Saturday against...
Falcons headed to Madrid for the NFL’s 2nd regular season game in Spain
MADRID — The Atlanta Falcons will play in the second ever NFL regular season game in Madrid this year. The Falcons’ opponent will be confirmed when the full season schedule is released later in the year. The Falcons are expected to be the home team at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Who’s better — Drew Allar or Will Howard?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …. Burke O’Toole, @BurkeMan513: Dr. Starkey who would you rather the Steelers try to...
Spring shift: Ryan O’Hearn ‘getting ready to be a solid right fielder’ for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The possibility of playing right field was discussed briefly between Ryan O’Hearn and the Pittsburgh Pirates during free agency, but the plan was for him to split time primarily at first base and designated hitter. When the Pirates signed three-time All-Star designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, they called...
First Call: Steelers alumni pile on reports of bad NFLPA grades; Maxx Crosby to Baltimore?
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some validation for those bad NFLPA grades for the Steelers, and it’s coming from some alumni of the team. Also, a fierce AFC pass rusher may wind up in the Steelers’ division. Pitt’s former athletic director, Heather Lyke, is wrapped up in a negative story at...
Tim Benz: We can talk about Malik Willis and the Steelers. But let’s have the entire conversationVideo
The dialogue about the Steelers potentially being interested in free-agent quarterback Malik Willis seems to have cooled. The Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns appear to be the teams most commonly linked with the current Green Bay Packers backup. That doesn’t break my heart. I’m certainly not sold on...
Steelers release veteran backup OT Calvin Anderson
The Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran reserve offensive tackle Calvin Anderson. The contract termination of the soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran of six NFL seasons was announced on the NFL’s transactions page. Anderson had appeared in 13 games over the past two seasons for the Steelers. He entered 2025 as the top reserve...
A look at the biggest winners, losers at NFL combine
INDIANAPOLIS — The national champion Indiana Hoosiers just keep making history. Less than two months after winning their first national championship and becoming the first major college football team to go 16-0 since the 1890s, the Hoosiers made themselves right at home during the NFL’s annual scouting combine. Heisman Trophy...
Chad Baker-Mazara’s dismissal from USC stemmed from more than 1 incident
LOS ANGELES — USC’s decision to dismiss top scorer and 3-point shooter Chad Baker-Mazara on the doorstep of the postseason left many wondering Sunday why coach Eric Musselman would seemingly sabotage his team’s already-tenuous hopes of making the NCAA tournament. To Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA star and podcast host...
Judge relishes opportunity as U.S. captain in WBC
PHOENIX — New York Yankees star Aaron Judge said putting on a Team USA jersey Monday carried special significance, especially considering the conflict raging across the Middle East after the U.S-Israel joint strikes on Iran that started three days ago. The three-time American League MVP is the U.S. captain heading...
NEC football schedules announced for Duquesne, Robert Morris
The Northeast Conference announced its 2026 conference football schedule Monday, with opponents and dates set for both Duquesne and Robert Morris. The Dukes host four NEC games at Rooney Field this upcoming fall, beginning with LIU on Oct. 10, followed by Wagner on Oct. 24, Robert Morris on Nov. 7...
Penn State’s Drew Allar has no regrets about final year, believes he owns strongest arm in draftVideo
About 15 months ago, quarterback Drew Allar chose to return to Penn State for his senior season, hoping to chase a national championship and solidify his NFL Draft stock as a top pick. Nothing went quite as he imagined. The Nittany Lions had a disastrous season, leading to coach James...
Westmoreland County campus clips: Latrobe grad stunned when Marshall drops swimming
Like her teammates and coaches, freshman Lauren Bell was blindsided by the news. In a cost-cutting move, Marshall Univerity opted to cut the women’s swimming team, effective at the end of this season. Bell, a Latrobe alum and former WPIAL standout, is suddenly faced with a tough decision: stay or...
