Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page C08

Tony previous head coaching experience reads: University of New Haven, 1994-98. On Wednesday he was hired by Bill Parcells to coach the Miami Dolphins, receiving a four-year contract worth an estimated $11 million, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. coached for a lot of people and worked for a lot of great Sparano, 46, said in Miami. Parcells has taught me the most and prepared me the most for this When Parcells was named Dolphins vice president of football operations last month, it was thought he might turn to Sparano, his assistant coach for four years in Dallas. Sparano replaces Cam Cameron, who went 1-15 in his first year as an NFL head coach.

Of the four candidates Miami interviewed, Sparano was the only one with ties to the new regime, which includes general manager Jeff Ireland. The trail for arrival as an NFL head coach can be traced to the University of New Haven. He was a four-year letter winner as the starting center after playing at Lee High School in New Haven. He was the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 1984-87 and head coach in 1994-98. The next year, his NFL coaching career started as offensive quality control coach with the Cleveland Browns under former New Haven coach Chris Palmer.

Two of New Haven teams went to the NCAA Division II playoffs. In New Haven finished 12-2 and lost the NCAA Division II championship game to Northern Colorado. Sparano was the second-win- ningest coach in New Haven history (41-14-1) behind Mark Whipple (48-17, was the first coach Ihired New Haven athletic director Deborah Chin said. impressed me from the start was he was clear in his mission. He wanted to be a head coach.

When he started at New Haven as an assistant, he get paid much or at all. left a large footprint here. And he was destined for greater things after he left for the presence is still felt at New Haven. Though the program was dropped in 2003, it will return in 2009. Chin said Sparano has been a strong supporter among the football alumni, donating flights and tickets to Cowboys games to support the yearly Chargers Classic golf tournament auction.

In December, Chin sought input during New search for the next football coach. Sparano endorsed Albany associate head coach Peter Rossomando, who is the godfather of son Andy. Andy and his older brother Tony play at Albany. On Dec. 13, when New Haven introduced Rossomando as coach, Sparano called and gave a glowing assessment of his former New Haven assistant first met him when I played at Boston University when he was an assistant Rossomando said.

has been my coaching mentor, like a father and big brother to Rossomando said the Dolphins have to worry about Sparano being outworked. Rossomando said. I was at New Haven with Tony, be there every day from August to early July go on a brief The rest of the time Tony would be there at 5 a.m., sometimes 4:30, and leave until 8:30 or 9 at night. because the work had to be done. His family was great and would come in to have dinner wife Jeanette, sons Tony and Andy and daughter Ryan Leigh have moved often during NFL journey.

The stops include Cleveland (1999-2000 as offensive quality control coach and offensive line coach), Washington as tight ends coach), Jacksonville as tight ends coach) and Dallas as tight ends coach and later offensive line coach). He added the title of assistant head coach in 2006. And now on to Miami. The University of New Haven has a rich athletic tradition, marked by such figures as Palmer (Giants quarterback coach and former Browns coach), Whipple (who won the 1998 Divi- sion I-AA title at UMass), Steve Bedrosian (1987 NL Cy Young winner with the Phillies) and former baseball coach Frank Vieira (1,127 wins). all great, and Chris Southern Connecticut was a head coach, but he graduate from New Chin said.

is the first New Haven alumnus to be a head coach at the professional level. going to be recognized as one of our distinguished alumni at our annual Alumni Scholarship Ball April 12. And that was decided long before this. Now with named Dolphins just a wonderful honor that makes us all so Contact Tom Yantz at School Of Head Fish By TOM YANTZ COURANT STAFF WRITER PAGE: C8 Zone: 2 CMY Typeset Sent C8 THURSDAY, JANUARY17, 2008 THEHARTFORDCOURANT PGA TOUR: BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC Site The Classic Club (7,305 yards, par 72), Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West (6,930, par 72), LaQuinta Country Club (7,060, par 72) and Palmer Course at Silver- Rock (7,553 yards, par 72), Palm Desert, Calif. Schedule Wednesday-Sunday TV Today-Friday, 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel; Saturday-Sunday, 4-7 p.m., Golf Channel 2007 winner Charley Hoffman CHAMPIONS TOUR: MASTERCARD CHAMPIONSHIP Site Hualalai Resort Golf Club (7,097 yards, par 72), Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii Schedule Friday-Sunday TV Friday, p.m., Golf Channel; Saturday-Sunday, p.m., Golf Channel 2007 winner Hale Irwin LPGA TOUR: WORLD CUP OF GOLF Site Gary Player Country Club (6,466 yards, par 72), Sun City, South Africa Schedule Friday-Sunday TV Friday, p.m., Golf Channel; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Golf Channel Format Two-player teams representing 20 countries in match play.

2007 winner Paraguay On The Tee With Tony Sparano taking over the Dolphins, every head coach in the AFC East has a Connecticut tie: Patriots: Bill Belichick, 55, played football, lacrosse and squash at Wesleyan, and was captain of the lacrosse team. He received an economics degree in 1975. Jets: Eric Mangini, who turns 37 Saturday, was born in Hartford and is a graduate of Bulkeley High School. He earned four letters in football (nose tackle) and two in wrestling at Wesleyan. He graduated in 1994 with a degree in political science.

Bills: Dick Jauron, 57, is one of the top running backs in Yale history, with 2,947 yards, fourth in school history, in only three seasons (1970-72). He was the Ivy League MVP in 1972 and was an NFL defensive back in 1973-80 with the Lions and Bengals. Dolphins: Tony Sparano, 46, was born in West Haven, attended Lee High School in New Haven, and was a four-year letter winner (center) at the University of New Haven. He received a degree in criminal law in 1982. He coached New Haven in 1994-98, twice leading the Chargers to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

All-State All-AFC East After a strong finish to last season and tying a Wolf Pack record for points in a playoff series with 11, Alex Bourret had high expectations. Bourret hoped he had put his early difficulties behind him beena first-round pick traded after only 45 pro games but a preseason injury, aconcussion that sidelined him nine games and a career-high, 12-game stretch without a goalmade the first half of this season forgettable. So a week ago, Bourret started to turn over a new leaf, joining a health club in Cromwell. 21, so I have to start to understand what I need to do, be a little more Bourret said. Then Bourret skated after practice with the Pack coaches and defenseman Dave Liffiton, who will return this weekend after missing 33 games with a concussion.

But Bourret sustained a charley horse against Norfolk Saturday, exacerbated the problem in a fight and sat out Sunday in Hershey, Pa. But to complete his attempted transformation, Bourret got a new haircut, helmet and suit Wednesday, then celebrated with the winning goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Worcester Sharks before 2,510 at the XL Center. figured change everything and see what Bourret said, smiling. was a tough start, and maybe I put a little too much pressure on myself after the good to season. When supposedto have points and have them, you play much.

But I know I have to step up my game and work hard so they give me the ice time. Nothing had been happening, so I just tried to do simple things and tonight it worked winner, his fifth, came off a 2-on-1 with Lauri Korpikoski, whose pass allowed Bourret to score into an open net at 8:30 of the third. felt better about himself, and it Pack coach Ken Gernander said. sure he has higher expectations, and here to help him attain that. He set a training goal last week, and it paid some Michael Sauer and Hugh Jessiman, who had another strong game on a new line with Bourret and Korpikoski, each had a goal and an assist.

Ryan Callahan assisted on goals by Dane Byers and P.A. Parenteau to give him six points in four games since being assigned by the Rangers last week. Miika Wiikman had another solid game with 33 saves, his best a right-pad stop on Tomas Plihal at 13:25. He was beaten on Lukas screen shot on a power play at 2:17 of the second and Tom shot after referee Ryan Fraser knocked the puck from Pack defenseman Andrew Hutchinson to Devin Setoguchi at 9:49 of the third. But the Pack (25-12-0-4) won their fourth straight, ending a 0-3-0-2 skid that tied their longest losing streak at home.

shot through a screen at 2:47 and shot that went off defenseman Patrick Traverse and past Dimitri Patzold (24 saves) at 7:14 started the Pack to a 5-0 record against the Sharks. saw almost all the shots except the first goal, so it was an easy Wiikman said. think played pretty much the same, but we got a few lucky goals that we get a couple of weeks ago. We get aboost from that. easier to play when you get two goals and take the Contact Bruce Berlet at Changes Work For Bourret By BRUCE BERLET COURANT STAFF WRITER WOLF PACK 5 SHARKS 2 NFL New Haven Proud To Have Spawned Sparano limitedtoasingleoutlet.ServicesubjecttoComcaststandardtermsandconditions.Pricesshowndonotincludeequipmentandinst tochange.CableService:Certainservicesavailableseparatelyorasapartofotherlevelsofservice.BasicServicesubscriptionrequiredtoreceiveotherlevelsofservice.Converterandremoterequiredforcertain services.OnDemandselectionssubjecttochargeindicatedattimeofpurchase.HDprogramminglimitedtotheprogrammingprovidedtoComcastinHDformat.Notallprogrammingavailableinallareas.HighSpeed tolocationsintheU.S.,Canada,PuertoRicoandcertainotherU.S.territories.Noseparatelongdistancecarrierconnectionavailable.ComcastDigitalVoiceservice(including911/emergencyservices)maynotfunction afteranextendedpoweroutage.CertaincustomerpremisesequipmentmaynotbecompatiblewithDigitalVoiceservices.EMTArequired($3.00/monthfromComcast).Callforrestrictionsandcompletedetails,orvisit www.comcast.com.Comcast©2008.Allrightsreserved.Allothertrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.CT2P-011608V1-A1NE 1-800-COMCAST www.comcast.com CoachJimCalhoun andwecandothesameforyou.

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