The Enquirer and wire reports

The Philadelphia 76ers hired Jim O'Brien as coach Tuesday, handing the former Boston Celtics coach a team that could be on the verge of a major rebuilding project.

O'Brien replaces Chris Ford, who was promoted from assistant on an interim basis after Randy Ayers was fired on Feb. 10. O'Brien will be introduced as Philadelphia's 20th head coach at a 3 p.m. news conference Wednesday.

O'Brien stepped down as coach of the Celtics on Jan. 27 after clashing with Danny Ainge, the team's executive director of basketball operations. O'Brien was 139-119 with the Celtics and led them to the Eastern Conference finals and semifinals the last two seasons.

He'll be the third coach to lead the Sixers since Hall of Famer Larry Brown stepped down last May. Brown, who spent six seasons in Philadelphia, coaches the Detroit Pistons.

High schools

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Andy Marx, a member of Elder's 1993 Division I boys' basketball state title team, has been named varsity coach at Oak Hills pending school board approval.

Marx, 29, has been coaching in the Oak Hills boys' program for nine years. He spent the past three years as assistant to Mike Price. Marx replaces Jan Wilking, who resigned to become Oak Hills athletic director. Wilking is replacing Dick Haucke, who is retiring as Oak Hills AD.

--Tom Groeschen

College football

KOESTER GONE: Walk-on UC fullback Kyle Koester (Elder) has not participated in spring practice and is not enrolled in school for the spring quarter. Koester, who transferred from Indiana in 2002, rushed 13 times for 52 yards last season and caught three passes for 17 yards.

--Bill Koch

ALABAMA: A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that former coach Mike Price was not entitled to a hearing before or after being fired for drunken behavior.

NOTRE DAME: Andrew K. French, 24, of Fort Myers, Fla., was indicted on a charge that he threatened coach Tyrone Willingham.

College basketball

GEORGETOWN: John Thompson III, son of former Georgetown coach John Thompson, was hired to coach the Hoyas back to national prominence. Thompson has been coach at Princeton since 2000.

OHIO STATE: Junior college transfer Je'Kel Foster has signed a national letter of intent to play at OSU. Foster, a 6-foot-3 guard will have two years of eligibility.

NFL

RAMS TO CUT WARNER: Kurt Warner, the two-time NFL MVP, expects to be released June 1 by St. Louis.

Tennis

MONTE CARLO: Alex Corretja beat two-time defending champ Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.

Auto racing

NASCAR: Jamie McMurray and Larry Foyt were docked 25 points each by NASCAR for bringing cars to Bristol Speedway that did not meet specifications.