NCAAF

Boston College hires Bill O’Brien as head coach

Boston College is a hard place to win, so it’s hard to see any hire the program makes ending in success, but O’Brien at least has a slim chance of winning in Chestnut Hill. For starters, he has ties to the area, being born in Boston and serving two separate stints with the Patriots as an assistant coach. Those two factors will obviously help, but the 54-year-old will still face an uphill battle to win with the Eagles.

Grade: B

Michigan hires Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator

Martindale as a great defensive mind and runs a system similar to what the Wolverines ran under Jim Harbaugh, so he should fare well in directing Michigan’s defense. On the other side though, Martindale hasn’t coached at the college level since 2003, so it’ll probably be an adjustment for the 60-year-old. Some college coordinators don’t have heavy recruiting roles, so that’s not something to worry about here, but this hire doesn’t come without risks.

Grade: B-

MLB

Corey Kluber retires

At Kluber’s peak with the Indians, he was one of the game’s top starting pitchers, and while he won’t make the Hall of Fame, he’ll take two American League Cy Young awards with him into retirement.