Nathaniel Hackett is out as the New York Jets’ play caller on offense. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday he is replacing Hackett with Todd Downing, who has been the Jets’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hackett will remain the offensive coordinator in title. Ulbrich took over as coach Tuesday after owner Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh with the team off to a 2-3 start and on a two-game losing streak. Ulbrich said the change in offensive play callers is a different take on things and a fresh approach for a struggling offense.

Syracuse visits N.C. State in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday. Syracuse is 4-1 so far under first-year coach Fran Brown. The Orange's offense has rolled along behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord as one of the nation's top passers. The Wolfpack's 0-2 start in the ACC marks its first such stumble in league play since 2015. N.C. State is coming off a home loss to Wake Forest and is struggling to find consistent defensive play this season. N.C. State is set to start freshman quarterback CJ Bailey again with Grayson McCall being knocked from last weekend's loss with a concussion.

Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis at age 38 after winning 22 Grand Slam titles — 14 at the French Open — during an unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He made the announcement on Thursday. Nadal has competed infrequently the past two seasons because of injuries and said next month’s Davis Cup finals will mark his farewell to the sport. He had hip surgery in 2023 and entered just two of the past eight major tournaments. Nadal’s unrelenting, physical style of play made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay, the slow, red surface on which he claimed his record 14 French Open championships.

Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, his latest clutch swing in a storybook season, and the New York Mets reached the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York finished off the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years. After three days of rest, New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday at the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego held a 2-1 lead in their NLDS heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night.

The New York Mets advance to NLCS for the first time since 2015 with 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rudy Giuliani’s son is trying to stop two Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against his father from taking the elder Giuliani’s four New York Yankees World Series rings. Andrew Giuliani says in court documents filed Tuesday in New York that he is actually the rightful owner of the rings because his father gave them to him as a gift in 2018. The election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, are seeking possession of Rudy Giuliani's assets, including the rings, to help pay the defamation judgment. Rudy Giuliani received the rings — from the Yankees' championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 — when he was mayor of New York those years.

HOUSTON — Nico Collins, the NFL's leading receiver, will miss at least four games after the Houston Texans placed him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury Wednesday.

Jeff Ulbrich was in the middle of putting together the game plan for the New York Jets’ defense when he got the news that stunned him and the rest of the NFL. Robert Saleh was out as the head coach. And Ulbrich was taking over for the rest of the season. Owner Woody Johnson made the surprising decision to fire Saleh just five games into his fourth season. He turned to the 47-year-old Ulbrich, a former NFL linebacker and longtime assistant who Johnson has watched closely during his four years with the team. Johnson believes Ulbrich has the knowledge and respect to help turn the Jets around.

The NFL academy has been improving its local recruitment and the results are starting to show with several recent graduates now playing for some high-level U.S. colleges. Germans and Swedes typically comprise most of the top European prospects for American college football, but the U.K. talent is gaining momentum. Rafael Varona Blakstad switched from rugby to American football in hopes of earning a scholarship to a Division I school next year. Academy graduate Timi Oke went from south London to Northwestern despite the cornerback taking up football at age 18. Another local alum is Oklahoma offensive tackle Daniel Akinkunmi.

When IndyCar approached the Dallas Cowboys about potentially hosting a street course race in Texas, Jerry Jones saw that Roger Penske was involved and had no hesitation in striking a deal.