Off the wire

BASKETBALL

Joerger, Grizzlies in talks

Memphis is negotiating with assistant Dave Joerger to become the Grizzlies’ head coach, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the final deal hasn’t been reached yet. ESPN.com first reported the negotiations. This would be Joerger’s first NBA head coaching job. He had been an assistant the past six seasons with the Grizzlies under Coach Marc Iavaroni and later Lionel Hollins, whose contract was not renewed earlier this month despite leading Memphis to a 56-26 record and a Western Conference finals appearance. The Grizzlies also interviewed George Karl, the NBA coach of the year before being fired by Denver, Chicago Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney and former Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry. Keeping Joerger would help the Grizzlies maintain some continuity in the locker room with Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph. He was the lead assistant coach and helped coordinate a defense that helped Memphis allow a league-low 89.3 points per game this season. Joerger also won five minor league championships. He led the Dakota Wizards to the 2007 NBA D-League title, an International Basketball Association title and three in the Continental Basketball Association. His record of 232-117 as a head coach also includes two CBA coach of the year awards. He played at Moorhead State and started as general manager of the Dakota Wizards in the IBA. He started coaching as an assistant in the 1997-1998 season and became head coach for the 2000-2001 season when he led the Wizards to their first title. He had 18 of his players called up to the NBA between 2003 and 2007.

Doc Rivers is the Los Angeles Clippers’ new coach and senior vice president of basketball operations. The Clippers finalized the championship-winning coach’s move from the Boston Celtics on Tuesday after weeks of negotiations and reversals. Boston will get a future first round pick from the Clippers for Rivers, who went 416-305 and won the 2008 NBA title during nine seasons with the Celtics. Rivers, 51, is replacing Vinny Del Negro, who wasn’t re-signed after going 56-26 and winning the Pacific Division title during the most successful season in franchise history. Rivers played one season for the Clippers in 1991-1992 during his 13-year NBA career. The Clippers will introduce Rivers at a news conference today.

The Denver Nuggets officially introduced Brian Shaw as their head coach Tuesday. Shaw replaces George Karl, the NBA’s coach of the year who was ousted after the team won a franchise-record 57 games, only to be bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. A longtime assistant, Shaw finally gets his chance to coach an NBA team. He’s been mentored by the likes of Phil Jackson and was the associate head coach for Indiana during the season that just ended, when the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference finals before being eliminated by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in seven games.

MOTOR SPORTS Labonte’s streak ending at 704

Bobby Labonte’s consecutive start streak will come to an end at 704 races. Labonte is not entered to race Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, which will bring an end to the second-longest active starts streak in NASCAR behind Jeff Gordon’s 705 starts. Labonte confirmed his status on a chat with fans on the JTG Daugherty Racing website. “I will not be racing this week,” he wrote. “It is disappointing the way it is happening. I have had a couple of offers this morning, but I have declined them because I don’t want anybody else that has an opportunity to do what I do, what they love, to have to sit on the sideline for my sake.” JTG will use A.J. Allmendinger in the No. 47 Toyota at Kentucky. Allmendinger drove for the team two weeks ago at Michigan, while Labonte drove the No. 51 for Phoenix Racing. Phoenix Racing will use Austin Dillon this weekend, which left Labonte without a seat after two consecutive rough races. His spin in the No. 51 at Michigan six laps into the race wrecked Gordon’s car, and an oil line broke before the start of Sunday’s race at Sonoma in the No. 47. Although the team got the problem fixed and Labonte made it onto the track in time for the start of the race, his engine failed on the first lap. “It blew up, dude,” Labonte said on his radio. “Something in the bottom engine because it had no oil pressure.” Labonte has not missed a start since he began racing full time in the Cup Series in 1993. He’s won 21 races and the 2000 championship while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kentucky will mark the first Cup race without a Labonte in the field since the 1978 season finale at Ontario. Older brother Terry Labonte has 884 starts. Ricky Rudd holds the NASCAR record of 788 consecutive starts.

FOOTBALL ACC adds bowl

The Atlantic Coast Conference is staking a claim to New York City by adding the Pinstripe Bowl to its postseason lineup. The conference and the Yankee Stadium bowl game have agreed to a six-year deal that starts in 2014. Commissioner John Swofford was in the Bronx on Tuesday for a news conference with Yankees officials. Swofford said it’s a partnership that “makes sense in every way.” The ACC is expanding north, adding Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame this season. The Fighting Irish will remain a football independent but will play five games per season against ACC teams. Louisville will join in 2014. Swofford said New York is now “a very, very important part of our footprint.” The Pinstripe Bowl announced a deal with the Big Ten earlier this month.

HOCKEY Canucks hire Tortorella

The Vancouver Canucks hired John Tortorella to be their new coach Tuesday. Tortorella was recently fired by the New York Rangers after they lost to the Boston Bruins in the second round of the playoffs in five games. Tortorella, 55, replaces former Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, who took over for him as the Rangers coach last week. Tortorella has been an NHL coach since 2001. He led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup championship in 2004. As coach of the Rangers the past five seasons, Tortorella led New York to the playoffs three times. Tortorella has reached the playoffs eight times and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2004. Known for his fiery and often abrasive style, he was let go four days after the Rangers’ season ended against the Eastern Conference champion Bruins. The Boston native was an assistant with the Rangers in the 1999-2000 season and took over for John Muckler as coach for the final four games. Tortorella later spent seven seasons as coach of the Lightning before returning to the Rangers in February 2009 after Coach Tom Renney was fired. Vigneault was let go after the Canucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year. He guided the Canucks to a berth in the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 and helped the team win two Presidents’ trophies and six Northwest Division titles. Tortorella, the career leader in wins by a U.S.-born coach with 410, served as an assistant for the American team that won silver at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He also handled head coaching duties for Team USA at the 2008 world championship and served as an assistant coach at the event in 2005.