Off the wire

BASKETBALL Pistons fire Cheeks

A person with knowledge of Detroit’s plans said assistant John Loyer will take over as interim coach after Maurice Cheeks was fired Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced an interim coach yet. Detroit fired Cheeks after less than a year as coach, with the Pistons sitting at 21-29 despite offseason moves aimed at putting the struggling franchise back in contention. The Pistons, who host the San Antonio Spurs tonight, are a halfgame out of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nebraska authorities are investigating the death of an 18-year-old Wayne State College football player who was found dead in his dorm room. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Sunday on Eddie Key III’s body. Key, a 6-2, 270-pound defensive end, was found in his dorm room around 7 p.m. Saturday. Authorities believe Key likely died in his sleep Saturday morning, said Amy Miller with the Wayne County Attorney’s office. Key was last seen alive around 4 a.m. Saturday.Wayne State spokesman Jay Collier said the college of about 3,600 students in northeast Nebraska is providing counseling to the football team and other residents of the dormitory where Key lived. Key played defensive end for Wayne State lastfall after he graduated from Lincoln North Star High School in Lincoln, Neb., in 2013. He was a second-team All-Nebraska player and was recognized for his play on the offensive line at North Star as a high school junior and senior. Key’s high school coach, Mark Waller, said the young man had appeared to have a bright future. “He was just a great kid,” Waller said. “It’s a tragic situation. We loved Eddie and we’re going to miss him.” The Lincoln school district plans to send counselors to North Star to visit with Key’s former teammates and classmates.

FOOTBALL Two Vols arrested

Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson and defensive lineman Danny O’Brien have been arrested on alcohol-related charges and resisting arrest, authorities said Sunday. The Knox County sheriff’s office says Johnson, 22, and O’Brien, 20, were taken into custody late Saturday. Johnson, a first-team all-SEC selection last season, was charged with purchasing alcohol for a person underage and resisting arrest. O’Brien, a reserve nose tackle as a redshirt freshman last season, was charged with criminal impersonation, resisting arrest and underage consumption of alcohol. Former Tennessee linebacker Dontavis Sapp, 22, also was arrested for resisting arrest and purchasing for a person underage. All three have been released. Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said in a statement released by the university that he’s aware of the situation and is gathering facts. “We have very high standards and expectations within our football program at the University of Tennessee, and appropriate action will be taken,” he said. Johnson made a team-high 106 tackles last fall in his third season as a starter. He had 138 tackles in 2012 and ranked fourth among all Football Bowl Subdivision players with 11.5 tackles per game.Johnson announced last month he would return for his senior season rather than entering the NFL Draft. O’Brien made 12 tackles and played in all 12 games in a reserve role as a redshirt freshman last season. Sapp closed his career last fall by starting 12 games and making 66 tackles.

TENNIS Monfils wins fifth title

Gael Monfils beat top-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday in the final of the Open Sud de France to claim his fifth career title. In an all-French match against the defending champion, Monfils did not face any break points - hitting 34 winners to 17 for Gasquet, and serving nine aces to zero for his opponent. Monfils broke for a 4-3 lead when Gasquet’s forehand sailed wide and the 30th-ranked Frenchman fired an ace to take the opening set. He capitalized on another forehand error from Gasquet to break serve in the ninth game of the final set and clinched his first title of the season with a service winner. Monfils, who also won this tournament in 2010, improved to 6-4 against Gasquet. A former top 10 player, Monfils struggled with a right knee injury in 2012 and dropped to 119th in the rankings last year. He started the season with a runner-up finish at the Qatar Open in January, losing to top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain.

FOOTBALL Draft prospect says he is gay

Missouri All-American Michael Sam announced he is gay, and the defensive end could become the first openly homosexual player in the NFL.

In interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports that were published Sunday, Sam said his teammates and coaches at Missouri have known since August.

“I am an openly, proud gay man,” he said.

The 6-2, 255-pound Sam participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month after leading the SEC in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19), and he is projected to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. Sam was the SEC co-defensive player of the year along with Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley.

“It’s a big deal. No one has done this before. And it’s kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be … I want to be a football player in the NFL,” he said in the interviews.

There have been numerous NFL players who have come outafter their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay.

Last year, NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay after the season. Collins was a free agent and has not signed with a new team this season. MLS star and U.S. national team player Robbie Rogers also came out ayear ago.

Sam said many people at the college all-star game for NFL prospects seemed to know that he was gay.

“I didn’t realize how many people actually knew, and I was afraid that someone would tell or leak something out about me,” he told ESPN. “I want to own my truth. … No one else should tell my story but me.”

Before coming out to all his teammates and coaches, Sam said he told a few close friends and dated another Missouri athlete who was not a football player.

Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel said in a statement Sunday night he was proud of Sam and how he represented the program.

“Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, he’s taught a lot of people here first-hand that it doesn’t matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, we’re all on the same team and we all support each other,” Pinkel said.