Tara VanDerveer’s secret to becoming the winningest college coach? Never stop learning

Tara VanDerveer’s secret to becoming the winningest college coach? Never stop learning

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Almost nothing about Tara VanDerveer’s home would imply a basketball coach, let alone one who is about to become the winningest college basketball coach ever, has resided there for nearly 30 years. The muted yellow walls and decor — several large framed florals painted years ago by a friend — are…

Taylor Swift’s jacket brings star boost to Kristin Juszczyk, wife of 49ers’ All-Pro fullback

Taylor Swift’s jacket brings star boost to Kristin Juszczyk, wife of 49ers’ All-Pro fullback

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers had a bye during the opening round of the playoffs, but that didn’t mean Kyle Juszczyk had the weekend off. The team’s fullback went into action after his wife, Kristin, managed to meld three massive newsmakers — Taylor Swift, the NFL and the winter storms that were…

Gary Sheffield, one of baseball’s great offensive forces, is still defending himself

Gary Sheffield, one of baseball’s great offensive forces, is still defending himself

However you perceive Gary Sheffield — icon or problem child, steroid user or public-opinion victim — one image almost certainly springs to mind. It’s that waggling bat, the pulsating motion that for 22 seasons radiated so much swagger. Through eight teams, nine All-Star nods, steroid allegations and a list of other microcontroversies too long to…

Victor Wembanyama at the halfway point: The good, the bad and the unbelievable

Victor Wembanyama at the halfway point: The good, the bad and the unbelievable

It’s only been half a season. He’s only played 35 games. Yet, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has already shown himself to be one of the most versatile players in NBA annals. Here’s the scary part: He’s still improving by leaps and bounds. The player once described by LeBron James as not a unicorn,…

How a Stanford professor helped lay the foundation for this 49ers era

How a Stanford professor helped lay the foundation for this 49ers era

The Athletic has live coverage of 49ers vs. Packers in the NFC Divisional Round matchup For his first few frenetic months as the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager in 2017, John Lynch left his family behind in San Diego. His temporary home at the Santa Clara Marriott became a brainstorming center for reversing the fortunes…

Medvedev’s 3.40am finish is latest absurd example of why tennis has to change

Medvedev’s 3.40am finish is latest absurd example of why tennis has to change

It happened again. Of course it did. Two tennis players, starting near midnight, battling nearly to sunrise in front of a scattering of fans, with a squad of kids in their early teenage years scurrying after balls at nearly four in the morning.  Last year it was Andy Murray duelling with Thanasi Kokkinakis until the…

The Spirit of Detroit’ has made Matthew Stafford a city idol

The Spirit of Detroit’ has made Matthew Stafford a city idol

DETROIT —  Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has spent his career lighting up scoreboards, but this one was more meaningful than most. It is beside a football field that bears his name at a community center in one of the poorest parts of the city. When he was playing for the Detroit Lions, Stafford and his wife,…

Rams’ Aaron Donald vs. Lions’ Jared Goff: ‘You know some things’

Rams’ Aaron Donald vs. Lions’ Jared Goff: ‘You know some things’

Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald will not chase or hit Jared Goff until Sunday night, when the Rams play the Detroit Lions in an NFC wild-card game at Ford Field. But Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, already sent his former Rams teammate a message. Donald said Thursday that he texted Goff…

USC’s Isaiah Collier set to miss 4-6 weeks because of injury

USC’s Isaiah Collier set to miss 4-6 weeks because of injury

USC starting point guard Isaiah Collier will miss four to six weeks because of a right hand injury, the school announced Thursday, stripping the struggling Trojans of one of their best offensive playmakers during a critical stretch of the conference schedule. Collier, the top-ranked freshman in the country, sustained the injury in a loss to…

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