Florida Sports Wire

TAMPA – University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins has named 2016 national coach of the year Chris Mack as the 13th head coach of the Bulls men’s basketball program. Mack, who led Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament, comes to South Florida after posting a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. He brings a 323-153 (.679) career record to Tampa across 15 seasons as a head coach with stops at Xavier (2009-18), Louisville (2018-22), and College of Charleston (2024-26).  Mack has posted 12 20-win seasons and led teams to nine NCAA Tournament appearances (posting an 11-9 record), including four Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearance with Xavier. He posted 259 victories in his first 11 seasons as a head coach, marking the 12th most amassed by a coach in that time frame. As a player, assistant coach, and head coach, Mack has been a part of 19 NCAA Tournament appearances. Teams Mack has led have achieved both a No. 1 Associated Press Poll ranking (Loui...

  TAMPA – University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins has named veteran SEC head coach Kristy Curry as the sixth head coach of the Bulls women’s basketball program. Curry, who led Purdue to the 2001 NCAA championship game, takes over a South Florida program that has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won four conference titles since 2015. She comes to Tampa after leading the women’s basketball program at Alabama for the last 13 seasons, guiding the Crimson Tide to the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons and posting 20-win seasons in each of the last five years. Her 2025-26 team went 24-11 and, as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, fell by a point (69-68) to No. 3 seed Louisville in the second round.  “I’m thrilled to welcome Kristy Curry to our Bulls family as the leader of our outstanding women’s basketball program,” Higgins said. “Kristy is a proven winner at the highest levels, with head coaching success across the Big Ten, Big 12, and SE...

JACKSONVILLE – Sporting Club Jacksonville (Sporting JAX) announced the promotion of Mark Warburton to President of Soccer, reinforcing the club’s commitment to sustained growth, competitive excellence and global connectivity as it builds toward a landmark year for professional soccer on the First Coast. Warburton, who has played a key role in shaping Sporting JAX’s soccer operations, will now lead all sporting initiatives, including player development, recruitment and international partnerships, as the club continues to expand its presence both domestically and abroad. “Mark has been an integral part of building our soccer identity and vision from the ground up,” said Ricky Caplin, Majority Owner and Chairman, Sporting JAX. “His global experience, leadership and relationships across the game will be instrumental as we continue to establish Sporting JAX as a destination club and deepen our connections with international and strategic partners.” Under Warburton’s leadership, Sporting JA...

NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is on the verge of another major attendance milestone this week, poised to surpass 2 million fans less than 27 months since the first-ever puck drop on Jan. 1, 2024. By week’s end, the league will also exceed 90 regular-season games for the first time in its three-year history as the race for the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs heats up. 2 MILLION FANS IN SIGHT The PWHL’s record-setting 2025-26 season has seen attendance climb to 760,003 through 85 games for an average of 8,941 fans per game. Total attendance in 85 games during the inaugural season, including playoffs, peaked at 483,530, followed by 737,455 fans in 102 total games played in 2024-25. This brings all-time PWHL attendance to 1,980,988 — 19,012 shy of 2 million, a milestone that will be reached in the coming days. Last week’s attendance highlights included two sold-out games at both of Boston’s primary home venues, including regular-season records set at Agganis...

Photo by Nancy DeLander Beecher/Florida Sports Wire By Mike Bonts JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) -- The Jacksonville Icemen (25-29-7-1) continued their ECHL playoff push Sunday afternoon with a much needed 2-1 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (24-28-7-1) at Veterans Memorial Arena. The victory has the the Icemen just four points behind Savannah and the fourth playoff spot in the South Division. Topias Leinonen started in goal for the Icemen. He stopped 19 shots in picking up his second win since joining Jacksonville after seven starts with Rochester of the AHL.  Will Hillman, put the Icemen on the board in the first period. Tyler Kopff and Taos Jordan pick up the assists on Hillman's 14th goal of the season. Jacksonville added to their lead in the second on a shorthanded goal by Craig Martin, his 15th of the seaason. David Jankowski got the helper. Denis Smirnov spoiled the shutout on his 16th tally of the seaaon with 5:50 to play in the game. Patrick Polino and Wade Murp...

Photo Courtesy IMSA/Florida Sports Wire Photo by Henry Massey/Florida Sports Wire Photo by Henry Massey/Florida Sports Wire Photo by Henry Massey/Florida Sports Wire Photo by Henry Massey/Florida Sports Wire By Holly Cain SEBRING – Porsche Penske Motorsport wins again. It’s certainly become an enduring refrain at IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fans in recent seasons with the legendary make and famous Penske Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) team claiming its second consecutive Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race victory Saturday – its third overall at the historic track (2008, 2025). The only real question on this warm, sunny, Florida spring day was which of the Penske team’s two Porsche 963s would take the checkered flag first at the venerable Sebring International Raceway. And that wasn’t fully settled until the dramatic final hour of the day-long race. Together the two Penske team cars combined to lead for all but 60 of the 343 total laps....

  ST. LOUIS – The University of Miami men’s basketball team had its season come to an end Sunday as it fell to No. 2 seed Purdue, 79-69, in the NCAA Tournament Second Round inside the Enterprise Center.  The Hurricanes finished its historic season under first-year head coach Jai Lucas with a 26-9 ledger.  Miami jumped out to a 10-6 lead three and half minutes into the game following a Shelton Henderson layup before Purdue (29-8) went on a 13-2 run as Fletcher Loyer scored 10 of the Boilermakers’ 13 points.  The Hurricanes cut the lead to two before going on a 9-0 run to take a seven-point advantage, 36-29, with just over two minutes remaining. Purdue’s C.J. Cox then hit three 3-pointers on Purdue’s final three possessions to tie the game as Tre Donaldson hit a runner just outside the lane to end the half, giving Miami a 40-38 advantage at the break. After a Malik Reneau layup to start the second half, the Boilermakers went on a 9-0 to take a 47-42 advantage. Purdue ...