BRIEFLY: Kiffin apologizes for jab at Meyer

New Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin was reprimanded by the SEC and apologized Thursday after he falsely accused Florida coach Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation.

Earlier in the day, Kiffin told fans at a breakfast celebrating the Volunteers’ recruiting class that Meyer violated rules by phoning Nu’Keese Richardson while the wide receiver prospect was on an official visit at Tennessee.

“I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn’t get him,” Kiffin said, according to a WVLT-TV report.

NCAA and SEC officials said it is not against recruiting rules to contact a recruit while they are on an official visit to another school.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive reprimanded Kiffin for publicly criticizing Meyer, which is against the league’s code of ethics.

That led to Kiffin’s apology.

“In my enthusiasm for our recruiting class, I made some statements that were meant solely to excite those at the breakfast,” Kiffin said. “I apologize to commissioner Mike Slive and the SEC, including Florida [athletics director] Jeremy Foley and coach Urban Meyer.”

BOXING

Calzaghe retires with 46-0 record

Former super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe retired from boxing with a perfect 46-0 record.

The 36-year-old Welshman outpointed Roy Jones Jr. in November in his last fight of a 16-year pro career.

Calzaghe held the WBO super middleweight world title for more than 10 years, unifying the title against Mikkel Kessler in 2007, before moving up to light heavyweight to fight Bernard Hopkins and Jones.

There will be no comeback, Calzaghe pledged.

“My decision is to retire. I’ve been boxing for 25 years and, like I said, I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve,” he said.

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Franklin to run MTSU’s offense

Middle Tennessee State University has hired former Auburn assistant Tony Franklin as its new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Franklin spent 10 as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and was fired midway through last season when the Tigers’ sputtered in his spread offense… . Duke has dismissed linebacker Trent Mackey from the football team and suspended defensive back Randez James. Mackey had 10 tackles in 11 games as a freshman last season. He is no longer enrolled in the school. Coach David Cutcliffe said he was dismissed for violating unspecified team standards. James redshirted last season and was one of the biggest recruits in Cutcliffe’s first recruiting class. He will miss spring practice, and Cutcliffe said his status with the team will be evaluated at the end of the spring semester.