Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Wednesday, December 11.

BILL BELICHICK

That’s right, legendary football coach Bill Belichick has agreed to a five-year deal with the University of North Carolina. While the details are not yet confirmed, it’s been reported the 72-year old will be paid upwards of $10 million/year, one of the highest salaries in all of college football. The union is an interesting decision by both parties…

For Belichick, leaving the pros for the college game might cost him a shot at the all-time NFL wins record, where he is just 14 victories away from Don Shula. Plus, why is Belichick interested in taking over a program that’s won 10 games just one time in the last 25 years? On the other side, UNC just made the decision to fire a 73-year old head coach who failed to energize the program. Now, they’re hiring someone only one year younger who has no college experience. To me, the Tar Heels have made a very odd choice. How involved will Belichick be in recruiting? Can he still coach at a high level? Can UNC recruit Tom Brady? Just a few of the many questions that will be facing Carolina next fall.

NBA CUP

Recapping night two of the quarterfinals…

• Trae Young has a history of antagonizing New York, and last night was no different. The Hawks star guard had 22 points and 11 assists, leading Atlanta to a 108-100 upset of the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks will advance to the NBA Cup semifinals, where they’ll take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas.

• If you wanted drama, look no further than the battle in Houston last night between the Rockets and the Warriors. A gritty defensive game, Golden State held a 90-84 lead with three minutes remaining. But wouldn’t you know it, the young Rockets came back to win 91-90. On the way to that score, there was plenty of controversy. Instead of wasting time, Steph Curry took a questionable shot with 11 seconds remaining, which led to an extremely debatable loose ball foul that gave the Rockets their game-winning free throws. Steve Kerr had some choice words afterwards, describing the call as “unconscionable” and going on what may be remembered as an all-time postgame rant. 

NHL

Just two games last night in hockey- let’s check in on the scores:

• The New York Rangers beat the Buffalo sabres 3-2. Adam Fox was the star of the game with a goal and two assists.

• Drake Batherson, have a night! The Ottawa Senators forward tallied three goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks:

SOCCER

It’s pretty rare that Americans are the leading story in the Champions League, the soccer tournament played by the most prolific European clubs. But yesterday, the USA ruled the day. Check out this beautiful linkup between Tim Weah and Weston McKennie for Juventus– a goal that proved crucial in a 2-0 victory against Manchester City:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Another day, another big move in baseball! The Boston Red Sox have acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. A talented lefty, Crochet will be a huge boost to the Boston rotation as they look to contend in 2025. However, the Red Sox paid a steep price for the upgrade– Chicago receives four top prospects, headlined by 2023 first round pick Kyle Teel and 2024 first round pick Braden Montgomery.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL: (2) UConn @ (8) Notre Dame, 7 PM on ESPN

NFL: Rams @ 49ers, 8:15 PM on Amazon Prime

“Our guys battled back, played their asses off. They deserved to win that game, or at least have a chance for one stop at the end to finish the game. And that was taken from us by a call that I don’t think an elementary school referee would have made.” –Warriors head coach Steve Kerr