Chip Kelly new head coach for 49ers
After firing Jim Tomsula, the San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly as the 11th head coach in the franchise’s history. San Francisco’s CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke chose Kelly after he interviewed with the team. Baalke said in a statement that Kelly “possesses all the qualities [the team was] looking for in [its] head coach.” Kelly previously coached the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015, when the team fired him after a 6-9 record.
US women’s volleyball team will go to 2016 Olympics
The U.S. women’s volleyball team secured a spot in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games in the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament, a three-day tournament for teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The U.S. team is the fifth team to join the 12-team tournament in Rio, behind Brazil, China, Serbia and Russia. The U.S. qualified for the Olympics after its final game against the team from the Dominican Republic, winning three straight sets 25-19, 25-19 and 25-18.
LeBron James earns 50th Player of the Week accolade
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James won his 50th Player of the Week award for Jan. 4 through Jan. 10, the most in NBA history. This is James’ second Eastern Conference Player of the Week award this season and is his 31st award with the Cavaliers.
FIFA names Carli Lloyd, Lionel Messi world’s best soccer players in 2015
Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona won the Ballon d’Or for top male player over Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, and this is his fifth time receiving the award. Messi had 41.33 percent of the vote, while Ronaldo had 27.76 percent, and Neymar had 7.86 percent. Carli Lloyd, midfielder of the Houston Dash, won the Women’s World Player of the year award, beating players from Japan and Germany. Lloyd won with the U.S. in the Women’s World Cup, scoring a hat-trick.
Sting to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame
WWE announced that its first inductee to its Hall of Fame for the Class of 2016 will be Sting, whose wrestling career began in 1985 and spanned to 2015, when he won the WWE Slammy Award for “Surprise Return of the Year.” Sting is a six-time WCW World Heavyweight champion, and his other accomplishments include two NWA World Heavyweight Championships, two WCW United States Heavyweight Championships, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Most Popular Wrestler of the Year for 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997, an NWA World Heavyweight Championship and four TNA World Heavyweight Championships. Sting also won the TNA World Tag Team Championship with Kurt Angle and won the UWF World Tag Team Championship twice with Eddie Gilbert and once with Rick Steiner. The WWE Hall of Fame induction will take place on April 2 in Dallas, Texas.
Nets GM Billy King reassigned, coach Lionel Hollins fired
The Brooklyn Nets fired Coach Lionel Hollins in the middle of a dismal 10-27 record, the NBA’s third-worst record. The Nets reassigned its General Manager, Billy King, leaving the GM position open until the team finds a replacement. The team said assistant Tony Brown will act as interim head coach.
