Month: February 2026

The San Francisco 49ers are replacing one accomplished defensive coordinator with another coach who has had plenty of success as a defensive coordinator. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is expected to be hired as the 49ers’ next defensive coordinator, ESPN reported Sunday. Morris will replace Robert Saleh, who became the Tennessee Titans’ head coach in January after one season back with the 49ers as their defensive coordinator. Morris was fired by the Falcons after two seasons as head coach at the end of the 2025 regular season. But prior to becoming the Falcons’ head coach, Morris helped steer the Los Angeles Rams’ defense to success as their defensive coordinator. The Rams won the Super Bowl in Morris’ first year at the helm in 2021, helping him become a strong head coach candidate. The Falcons’ defense was also respectable under Morris this past season. They ranked 15th in total defense and 12th in defensive DVOA, with Atlanta’s defense notably having a standout performance when it intercepted Matthew Stafford three times in its Week 17 upset win over Los Angeles. Now, Morris will take over a 49ers defense that arguably overperformed in 2025, considering the injuries they had. Even though edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner missed the majority of the year, the 49ers ranked 13th in scoring defense and 20th in yards allowed. Morris had also received head coaching interest following the Falcons’ decision to fire him, interviewing with a handful of teams for the head coach vacancies in January.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — NASCAR will delay its lone preseason event by two additional days to Wednesday as North Carolina digs out one of its biggest snowstorms in years. The Clash, originally scheduled for Sunday at Bowman Gray Stadium, will now run Wednesday on the historic quarter-mile track that doubles as the home football stadium for Winston-Salem State University. Practice and qualifying is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on the Fox Sports App and FOX One. FOX coverage will start at 4:30 p.m. for the 75-lap last chance qualifying race, followed by the 200-lap main event at 6 p.m. ET. The Winston-Salem area got eight inches of snow Saturday, while the area between there and Charlotte — where most of the teams are based — got 10-15 inches of snow. The race originally was postponed Saturday to Monday and while roads started to improve Sunday, the ability of teams (the crew members are home and not in the vicinity of the track) and fans to get to the track safely led to the decision. The Charlotte area got 11 inches of snow, making it one of the top-five highest single-day snowfalls in the history of the city. It was the most snow Winston-Salem had gotten since 2018. Clash manager Justin Swilling said the decision was made in consultation with the city of Winston-Salem (which owns the facility that achieved national exposure with the “Madhouse” reality series) and state transportation officials. It has been a busy couple of weeks after a sleet storm a week prior to the Clash. “When we all woke up this morning, we were all on the same page,” Swilling said. “It’s going to take a day or two to get the industry out of the snow that they’re found in the greater Charlotte area and get them up here. It’s going to take us a few days to get the stadium cleaned off. The city felt that responsibility as well. “The state was supportive of saying it’s not good to have people on the roads right now, try to stay home if you can, but when things warm up, hopefully earlier in this coming week, we’ll get to a really good place. They’ve done a great job with primary and even some secondary roads in and around this area. It was actually a fairly aligned decision from the moment we started talking about Wednesday.” Swilling said NASCAR did consider conducting the event with fans. “Anytime anybody’s come to the Madhouse for an event, you know that it’s just as much the fans as it is the competitors that makes it a show,” Swilling said. “So we explored all scenarios, but at the end of the day, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time. We wanted to give the community plenty of time, as well, to get over the most recent storms that we’ve had, and we felt that Wednesday was the safest time to have everybody ascend on Bowman Gray Stadium. And we feel good about that.” If this was a race during the season, NASCAR might have been more willing to do it without fans, as teams would need to get to the next weekend’s event. But with on-track activity for the Daytona 500 not beginning until the following Wednesday (Feb. 11), NASCAR was not facing a hard decision as far as next-event logistics.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Arizona Cardinals have found their next head coach, not long after losing out on the sweepstakes to land Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has been hired as the next head coach of the Cardinals, the team announced Sunday. With Sunday’s news of the Cardinals hiring LaFleur and the Las Vegas Raiders planning to hire Kubiak, all 10 head coach vacancies have been filled. “I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to [owner] Michael [Bidwill] and [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort] for this opportunity,” LaFleur said in a statement released by the Cardinals. “Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running.” LaFleur, 38, has been the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, helping Los Angeles undergo a resurgence following its disappointing 2022 season. Under LaFleur’s watch, the Rams’ offense has been among the best in football over the last few years, with quarterback Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level and wide receiver Puka Nacua becoming an Offensive Player of the Year candidate in 2025. The Rams’ offense led the league in yards and points this season, too. While LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for a prolific offense, he wasn’t viewed as highly of a coaching candidate as other coordinators because head coach Sean McVay calls plays for the Rams. FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna didn’t include LaFleur in his nine best head coach candidate ranking as a result. The Cardinals, meanwhile, weren’t viewed as a top destination among the 10 head coach vacancies this offseason, either. FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur ranked the Arizona job as the second-worst vacancy this offseason, with the Miami Dolphins being the only team ranked behind the Cardinals. The Cardinals went 3-14 in 2025, which was tied for the worst record in the league, and have questions at quarterback following Kyler Murray’s regression this past season. LaFleur inherits some intriguing pieces on Arizona’s roster, though, including All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and veteran edge rusher Josh Sweat. Arizona also has the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft. “In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams,” Ossenfort said. “He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it.” Murray, 28, has played seven seasons in the desert since being selected with the No. 1 pick in 2019 but has been to the playoffs just once, losing in the wild-card round to the Rams in 2021. Murray played in just five games last season because of a foot injury, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s in the middle of a $230.5 million, five-year contract that could last through 2028. Backup Jacoby Brissett started the final 12 games of the season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 TDs and eight interceptions but winning just one game. He’s under contract next season. LaFleur has to rebuild the Cardinals in the NFC West, which was the best division in football this season. The Cardinals’ 14 losses last season were more than the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers had combined. All three of those teams made it to the division round of the playoffs; the Seahawks will play for the Super Bowl on Feb. 8. LaFleur is the second member of his family to become a head coach. His older brother, Matt LaFleur, has been the head coach of the Green Bay Packers since 2019. Prior to joining the Rams in 2023, LaFleur was the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets for two seasons and worked as an assistant under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers for four years. The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

To the casual viewer, competing at the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show might look pretty simple: Get a dog. Groom it. Pose it. Lead it around a ring. But there’s a lot more involved in reaching the pinnacle of U.S. canine events, now in its milestone 150th year. Here are the ins and outs of Westminster, which started off with a bang on Saturday with the 13th Annual Masters Agility Championship Finals at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York: When and where is this year’s competition? The 150th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show continues Monday and Tuesday in New York City, with competitions held at both the Javits Center and Madison Square Garden. The seven breed group winners will compete in the final round, known as Best in Show, on Tuesday evening at MSG. Find the full streaming schedule here. “This is a full circle moment for The Westminster Kennel Club and Madison Square Garden,” said Dr. Donald Sturz, President of The Westminster Kennel Club. “An idea that sprung from the historic Westminster Hotel in 1876 came to life at Gilmore’s Garden, marking the very first Westminster Dog Show – 150 years later, here we are in The World’s Most Famous Arena celebrating the love of dogs with unforgettable moments made only in New York.” How many dogs are competing? Over 3,000 champion dogs representing all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and 17 additional countries, will compete in this year’s highly anticipated event. What’s more, all 202 eligible American Kennel Club-recognized breeds will be represented at this year’s show. The largest entries by breed are Golden Retrievers (52), French Bulldogs (48), Labrador Retrievers (35), Rhodesian Ridgebacks (34), Australian Shepherds (33), Pomeranians (33), Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (32), Vizslas (32) and Pugs (31). The newest eligible breed as of 2025, the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, will be represented with 12 entries. Last year, in 2025, Chihuahuas were the best-represented breed, with 49 entries. Where are the dogs from? The states with the most dogs in this year’s competition are California (220), Florida (212), New York (154), Texas (140) and Pennsylvania (139). The fewest dogs hail from Hawaii and North Dakota (one each). There are also 76 entries from Canada and 32 international entries representing 16 additional countries, led by Japan (five), Italy and the Philippines (four). Mexico (three). Brazil, Chile, Czechia and Spain are represented with two entries each, while Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Indonesia, Korea, Peru, Poland and Serbia all have one. [WKC: The Westminster Dog Show Turns 150. Here’s What Has And Hasn’t Changed Over Time] How do dogs get into the show? All the dogs are champions, meaning they have racked up a certain number of points in the sport’s complicated system. The process of becoming a show dog begins when breeders determine which puppies are physically and temperamentally suited for what’s known as “conformation” competition. Some owners show their own dogs, while other canines have professional handlers who crisscross the country to compete most weekends. [WKC: Decoding Westminster Kennel Club Show Dogs’ Quirky, Tongue-Twisting Names] How does dog showing work? Dogs first face off against others of their breed, which sometimes can include dozens of others, sometimes few or even none. Each breed’s winner moves on to a semifinal round of judging against others in a group of dozens of breeds. In the final round, the seven group winners compete for best in show. This year, the group with the most entries is Sporting (440), followed by Herding (385), Working (367), Toy (360), Hound (356), Non-Sporting (297) and Terrier (295). Judges decide which dog best matches the ideal, or “standard,” for its breed. For example, a herding dog might need proportions allowing for tight turns, while some hounds might require thick paw pads for rough terrain. Judges do hands-on examinations and watch the dogs in motion. Distinctions can be very subtle. Show folk often say victory can go to “the dog on the day,” meaning the one that has the performance of a lifetime. [WKC: What Makes a Winner? A Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Judge Explains] Who is this year’s Best in Show judge? Two-time Best in Show-winning Pekingese breeder-owner-handler David Fitzpatrick of East Berlin, Pennsylvania will serve as Best in Show judge in this milestone year. He won Best in Show in 2012 with Malachy, and again in 2021 with Wasabi. Over the years, several of his dogs have also won multiple groups and Reserve Best in Show at Westminster. What do winners get? What breeds have won, or not? Bragging rights and trophies are at stake. There are no cash prizes, though the agility and obedience winners each get to direct a $5,000 Westminster donation to a training club or to the American Kennel Club Humane Fund. The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26 to help No. 1 UConn beat 15th-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, 96-66, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry. The Huskies (23-0) only led 57-53 midway through the third quarter before scoring the last 14 points of the period to blow the game open. Strong got the run started with a 3-point play and the Huskies sliced through Tennessee’s pressure defense for layups. Allie Ziebell, who tied a program record with 10 3-pointers in the Huskies’ previous game, capped the burst with a 3 that made it 71-53 heading into the final quarter. The Lady Vols (14-5) never threatened to get back in the game in the fourth and the margin of defeat topped the team’s 23-point loss to UConn in 2002. It’s the second-worst loss ever for Tennessee, only surpassed by a 31-point defeat to Texas in 1984. Janiah Barker scored 16 points to lead the Lady Vols. It looked as if the rout would come a lot earlier as UConn jumped out to a 21-5 lead in the first 7 minutes behind Fudd, who had seven rebounds and seven assists. But Tennessee finally started getting going and outscored UConn 35-15 over the next 12 minutes to go in front by four late in the half. The Lady Vols played their frantic style of constantly subbing in fresh players while applying pressure defense. It worked during that stretch to wear down the Huskies a bit. However, UConn recovered and the two teams were tied at 42 at the half. UConn was missing star freshman Blanca Quinonez, who was sidelined with a shoulder issue that sidelined her earlier in the season. The two teams will continue their series for the next two years. It was the rivalry in women’s basketball for nearly two decades before they stopped playing after the 2007 season until it was picked up again in 2020. Tennessee won the meeting last season in Knoxville, which was the Huskies’ last loss en route to winning their 12th national championship and the current 39-game winning streak. Tennessee will look to end its skid when it takes on No. 23 Georgia in Athens on Thursday. UConn, meanwhile, will hit the road and take on DePaul on Wednesday. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports