ORONO — Maine has a new defensive coordinator with an NFL pedigree.

Paul Ferraro was named the Black Bears’ defensive coordinator by head coach Jack Cosgrove.

Ferraro joins Maine’s staff after spending the past three years as linebackers coach with the St. Louis Rams. He also spent time on the coaching staffs of the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers.

In the college ranks, he has coached at Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Bowling Green and several other schools.

He spent one year as linebackers coach at Maine in 1989.

The Black Bears are coming off a 9-4 season in which they were ranked No. 8 nationally and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BAYLOR: Kim Mulkey is The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball Coach of the Year.

Mulkey guided the Bears to an undefeated season. Baylor is two wins away from becoming the first team in NCAA history to win 40 games in a season.

She was presented the award Saturday after receiving 19 votes from the 40-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the NCAA tournament.

Tina Martin of Delaware was second with 14 votes.

• Brittney Griner is The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball Player of the Year, the first Baylor player to win the award.

She received 36 votes Saturday from the 40-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.

The 6-foot-8 phenom averaged 23.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.2 blocks this season.

Elena Delle Donne of Delaware was second with two votes. Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame and Nnemkadi Ogwumike of Stanford received the other votes.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

KENTUCKY: Freshman Anthony Davis won the Wooden Award, the latest honor in his accolade-filled season.

Davis becomes the second freshman to win the Wooden Award after Kevin Durant also accomplished the feat in 2007. Hall of Fame coach John Wooden’s grandson, Greg, presented the award on behalf of the Los Angeles Athletic club.

Davis won AP Player of the Year on Friday.

KANSAS STATE: Bruce Weber knows that Kansas State fans may not accept him right away. That much became clear when a small rally for another coaching candidate turned into a protest of his hiring.

The former Illinois coach doesn’t have a problem with that, though.

Weber is up for any challenge that’s presented to him.

The former Illinois coach was hired by Kansas State to replace Frank Martin, whose departure for South Carolina earlier in the week sent shockwaves through the program. The school moved quickly on the hiring, reaching out to Weber in the last few days and finalizing a deal late Friday.

Weber agreed to a five-year, $8.5 million contract that will pay him $1.5 million next season and an additional $100,000 each remaining year. There are also several benefits.

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