The Denver Broncos didn’t wait long to appoint a new offensive coordinator. They didn’t have to look far, either. Adam Gase, who has been with the Broncos the last four season and was the quarterbacks coach the last two years, will replace the departed Mike McCoy as the Broncos’ top offensive assistant. McCoy left to become the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Gase coached the Broncos’ receivers in 2009 and 2010 before moving to coach the quarterbacks. The 34-year old becomes the fourth-youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A story that Notre Dame Heisman finalist Manti Te’o’s girlfriend had died of leukemia turned out to be a hoax apparently perpetrated against the linebacker.

Calling it incredibly embarrassing to talk about, T’eo said in a statement Wednesday that he developed an emotional relationship with a woman he met online and maintained that relationship through computers and phones. He said it’s painful and humiliating to realize he was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies.

Te’o had said during the season that the loss of his girlfriend inspired him to help lead the Irish to the BCS title game.

The university also issued a news release after Deadspin.com reported it could find no record of Lennay Kekua existing.

The university says that Notre Dame coaches were informed by Te’o and his parents on Dec. 26 that Te’o had been the victim of what appeared to be a hoax. Someone using a fictitious name “apparently ingratiated herself” with Te’o, the school said, then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had died of leukemia.

The university said “the proper authorities” are investigating a “very cruel deception.”

The Husker women’s basketball team returns to the Devaney Center hardwood tonight after two straight road games. They host Illinois tonight in a matchup of teams with 2-2 Big Ten records. Nebraska is coming off an 80-58 loss at eighth-ranked Penn State last Sunday. The Huskers won the first Big Ten meeting between these two teams, a 67-47 win in Champaign last January. Tipoff tonight is scheduled for 7:05.

Despite a valiant comeback effort, the Husker men’s basketball team dropped to 0-5 in Big Ten play with a 65-56 loss to Purdue at the Devaney Center. The Huskers fell behind by 20 points early in the second half but clawed their way back, getting as close as five points at 51-46. But every time the Huskers made a run, the Boilermakers had an answer. Shavon Shields led the way for the Big Red with a career high 18 points. Walk-on Jordan Tyrance had his best game ever in a Husker uniform as well, scoring 10 points off the bench. The Huskers set a new program record by only committing two turnovers in the game, but shot just 33 percent and were just 3-for-10 from three-point range. The Huskers are now 9-9 on the season. They’re back in action Saturday night at Penn State.

The Denver Nuggets saw their six-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the NBA’s best team. The Oklahoma City Thunder hammered the Nuggets 117-97 in Oklahoma City. The Nuggets trailed by 16 after one quarter and were never able to get back into the game. Kosta Koufos led the Nuggets with 16 points in the defeat. The Nuggets fall to 24-17 with the loss. They host the league’s worst team, the Washington Wizards, Friday night.

The Colorado Rockies were able to avoid arbitration with a pair of relief pitchers yesterday, agreeing to terms for 2013 with left-hander Josh Outman and right-hander Wilton Lopez. Outman signed for $675,000. In his first season with the Rockies in 2012, Outman appeared in 27 games and went 1-3 with an ERA of 8.19. Lopez, who was acquired from the Rockies in a recent trade, pitched in 64 games for Houston last year and was one of the league’s top setup men, posting a 2.17 ERA. He will make $1.7625 million next season.