Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday that defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and defensive passing game coordinator Duane Akina had been fired and that Muschamp would take over as the team’s defensive coordinator.
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Muschamp has been serving as a defensive analyst at Georgia for the past two seasons.
It’ll be the second stint as the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator for the former Florida and South Carolina head coach. After he was the defensive coordinator at Auburn for two seasons, Muschamp went to Austin and led the Texas defense for three seasons. He was in charge of the defense as Texas made the BCS title game in January 2011 and lost to Alabama.
Near the end of Muschamp’s first season, Texas said he had been designated the coach-in-waiting to succeed Mack Brown. However, Brown was under contract through the 2016 season, and the Florida job opened up at the end of the 2010 season.
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Muschamp was 28-21 in his time with the Gators before he was fired with one game to go in 2014.
After another stint at Auburn as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator in 2015, Muschamp became South Carolina’s head coach in 2016. He spent over four seasons with the Gamecocks and was fired as the team was 2-5 in 2020. South Carolina was 28-30 in his time in Columbia.
Like at Florida, Muschamp’s best season at South Carolina came in his second year. The Gators were 11-2 in 2012 before winning 10 games over the rest of Muschamp’s tenure. The Gamecocks went 9-4 in 2017, but then won 13 of their next 32 games before Muschamp was fired.
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Texas allowed 19.8 points and 4.9 yards per play in 2025 as the Longhorns went 9-3. Both those marks weren’t as good as 2024, when Texas allowed 15.3 points per game and 4.4 yards a play. Opposing quarterbacks threw for 2,851 yards against Texas over 12 games in 2025. A year ago, Texas allowed 2,781 passing yards across 16 games as the Longhorns made the SEC title game and the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
If you’re new to Arena Club, here’s a quick rundown. Arena Club is THE premier online marketplace for sports cards, bringing the thrill of card collecting into the digital age. Users can open (“rip”) packs virtually, buy and sell graded cards, and manage their collections all in one place.
Now, let’s get into the partnership a bit. Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs feature real, graded NFL trading cards curated by Arena Club. Fans can purchase a slab pack, each containing a graded card of an active NFL player. There are two levels of packs — Silver costs $39 and Gold is set at $139. These packs will feature potential “Chase Cards” for the top fantasy football performers of the week, including your favorite quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. These Chase Cards are the most valuable cards in the Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs, worth up to 20x the price of the pack. They have also sold out in the past, so you don’t want to miss out on Week’s 16 slab packs.
The Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs will go on sale on Thursdays at kickoff of the primetime game (8:15 p.m. ET) and be available until the conclusion of the Monday night game (or until they sell out). It’s the perfect way to start your fantasy week. You can head to ArenaClub.com or the Arena Club app and use the promo code YAHOO at checkout for 20% off your first slab pack or card purchase.
This Week’s Featured Cards: Rip a slab pack today for a chance to pull exclusive cards of this week’s top fantasy performers:
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Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars – The Jacksonville QB had the best game of his NFL career, throwing five TDs while adding one score on the ground in Week 15.
Bo Nix, Broncos – Denver boasts the best record in the NFL at 12-2 and Nix is coming off a four-TD performance in a big win over Green Bay.
Brock Purdy, 49ers(Gold only) – Purdy nearly threw for 300 yards and adding three TDs with 44 yards rushing in Week 15 vs. the Titans.
Jared Goff, Lions (Silver only) – Detroit fell to the Rams in Week 15 but Goff was productive with 338 yards and three passing scores.
Running Back
Bijan Robinson, Falcons – In the shadow of Kyle Pitts Sr. on TNF in Week 15, Robinson quietly went for 25.5 fantasy points on 93 rushing yards and a score and eight catches for 82 yards.
Saquon Barkley, Eagles – The 2024 fantasy MVP, Barkley has gotten back on track the past two weeks for managers with double-digit points in each contest.
Josh Jacobs, Packers – In a losing effort, Jacobs stepped up big again for managers with 92 total yards and two TDs against the Broncos in Week 15.
Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions – In the Detroit-Los Angeles pinball game, St. Brown put up a huge 13-164-2 line for fantasy managers.
Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons – What more can we say about Pitts at this point? He came out of nowhere to post a 40-burger in fantasy last week vs. the Bucs.
Jameson Williams, Lions (Gold only) – One of the fantasy stars of the second half, Williams posted 7-134-1 against the Rams in that back-and-forth slugfest.
Puka Nacua, Rams (Silver only) – The fourth player featured from Rams-Lions game in the Arena Club drop this week, Nacua had nine catches for 181 yards last week.
With new cards released weekly based on fantasy performance, collectors have an ever-changing opportunity to grow their trading card collections with the NFL’s hottest names. Don’t miss out — and get ready to rip your slab pack!
The hot stove is heating up — with 21 of our top 50 free agents having landed new deals already this winter — but let’s not forget the other key component of offseason transactions: trades.
We’ve seen a few teams make deals already, including Sonny Gray to the Red Sox and the Mets’ and Rangers’ swap of Marcus Semien and Brandon Nimmo, but chances are the trade market is just getting going. With that in mind, let’s lay out some deals we’d like to see happen this winter.
Mets acquire OF Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox for RHP Jack Wenninger and OF Nick Morabito
Perhaps Chicago’s decision to pick up Robert’s $20 million option for 2026 was made with the intention of dealing him at next year’s deadline, but with the dearth of enticing right-handed-hitting outfielders available in free agency, there’s no sense in waiting any longer to cash in on Robert as a trade chip. Although he finished the 2025 season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, Robert was quietly hitting quite well before that (.297/.350/.469 over his final 35 games) and offers enough tantalizing upside to return real prospect capital. The Sox should find the best deal available this winter and finally pull the trigger.
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Enter the Mets, in the midst of a total roster makeover, with the requisite farm system depth to meet Chicago’s asking price and the financial flexibility to take on Robert’s contract. The financial element shouldn’t be as important here; for the White Sox to secure the best prospect return, they are best off covering as much of Robert’s salary as possible (even if the Mets can afford it). But regardless of the money, New York is an ideal suitor as a team with a center-field need and a stated goal of improving defensively. While durability and recent volatility at the plate make Robert risky in some respects, he brings the same terrific defense as the incumbent Tyrone Taylor, but with dramatically more offensive upside. It’s also not necessarily a long-term commitment; Robert has another $20 million club option for 2027 that could be exercised if he flourishes or declined if he flops. In that case, the Mets could move forward with some of their internal center-field candidates who project to be ready as every-day options in 2027 (Carson Benge, Jett Williams).
As for the return, the Mets have enough depth at the upper levels to put together a worthwhile package without parting with any of their top names. Wenninger doesn’t carry the same cache as the three right-handers we saw debut for New York last season (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat), but he was terrific in a full season in Double-A, experiencing a notable velocity uptick and displaying a fantastic splitter as his go-to out pitch. He could break into a big-league rotation at some point in 2026, though it’s hard to see that happening in Queens. Morabito, whom the Mets added to their 40-man roster last month after a stellar showing in the Arizona Fall League, is a sensible inclusion in a Robert trade as a candidate to be Chicago’s center fielder of the future; there’s a severe lack of depth at the position behind Robert. Morabito will likely need some time in Triple-A first, but he’s a plus-plus runner who can be an impact defender and baserunner, and he has a decent offensive approach enabling solid on-base numbers despite minimal power. — Shusterman
Orioles acquire RHP Edward Cabrera and RHP Anthony Bender from Marlins for 1B Coby Mayo, RHP Michael Forret, LHP Joseph Dzierwa, RHP Levi Wells and INF Aron Estrada
At the 2024 trade deadline, Miami and Baltimore linked up on a trade borne out of each club’s positional surpluses, as the Marlins dealt from their depth of arms, sending lefty Trevor Rogers to the Orioles, in exchange for two hitters, Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby, who were unlikely to find regular at-bats in Baltimore anytime soon. It was a deal that seemed to lean heavily in Miami’s favor in the months afterward, but it now looks like a big win for both sides, with Rogers being downright dominant when on the hill for Baltimore in 2025 and Stowers blossoming into an All-Star for the Fish.
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Eighteen months later, these two clubs could line up for a similar trade, with Baltimore still in search of pitching upgrades and the Marlins reportedly willing to deal from their rotation to bolster their young talent base as they look to launch out of rebuild mode. Whether or not Baltimore is able to add an impact starter in free agency, Cabrera is an ideal target as a high-upside right-hander who is under contract through 2028. Durability and command have been challenges at times, but Cabrera is comfortably above-average at coaxing both whiffs and groundballs, an enviable combination for a starting pitcher. And with Baltimore still in need of bullpen help — and the reliever free-agent market thinning out quickly — Bender, a solid seventh-inning option who is under contract for two more seasons, would be a nice bonus to this deal, even if he heightens the prospect cost.
The Marlins would rightly want a lot in return for these two pitchers, and the Orioles are one of the few teams in position to meet such a lofty ask. The addition of Alonso has rendered some of Baltimore’s upper-level hitters expendable, with Mayo the obvious candidate to be flipped in a trade. (Heston Kjerstad is another name to monitor, having seemingly been passed on the depth chart by Dylan Beavers, but Kjerstad’s 2025 was so poor that it’s difficult to gauge his trade value at present.) Mayo just turned 24 and finished strong with a .941 OPS in September; he could bring some much-needed thump to Miami’s lineup at a position of weakness at first base.
Among minor-league arms with at least 70 innings pitched in 2025, only Jonah Tong posted a lower ERA than Forret’s mark of 1.58 in 74 innings of work. The right-hander turns just 22 in April and has made only three starts in Double-A, but if he can prove he can handle a starter’s workload over a full season, he could be a top-100-type talent. Dzierwa was Baltimore’s second-round pick earlier this year and has plus command of a deep arsenal headlined by an excellent changeup. Wells throws very hard and has reached Triple-A developing as a starter, but a transition to a bullpen role could have him big-league-ready in short order. Estrada is a compact switch-hitter who has stolen 30-plus bases each of the past two seasons while playing mostly second base and left field. — Shusterman
Will Tarik Skubal be traded this winter? What about Edward Cabrera and Ketel Marte?
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
Phillies acquire LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers for RHP Andrew Painter, INF Aidan Miller, INF Aroon Escobar and LHP Mavis Graves
When the powers that be here at Yahoo asked me to concoct a trade for one Mr. Tarik Skubal, the first thing that popped into my mind was desperation. Not in regard to my editor — trade theorizing within reason is harmless and fun! Don’t be a hater! — but in regard to which team might have the guts to swing a deal for the best pitcher on Earth.
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Stay with me here.
Skubal is a free agent after the 2026 season. His agent, Scott Boras, rarely shepherds his clients to extensions. A team that acquires Skubal this winter would probably have him for just one season. Given how much teams value their top prospects — and Skubal would require quite a haul — those are big stakes.
So who’s under that kind of pressure? Who is living in the here and now? Which team has to win in 2026?
The Padres come to mind. As do the Yankees and Red Sox. But I think the Philadelphia Phillies are the team most incentivized to do something completely irresponsible, to mortgage the future for one shot at glory. Remember, the clock is most certainly ticking at Citizens Bank Park, no matter how much blood Bryce Harper cycles out of his body. The Harper/Schwarber/Turner/Wheeler/Nola core is all 32 or older. Cy Young vote recipient Jesús Luzardo hits free agency next winter. So do infielders Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa.
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A rotation led by Skubal, Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez would curbstomp people. Whenever Zack Wheeler returns from his thoracic outlet issues, he can join the party, too. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has a reputation of pushing the chips in, and who better to go all-in on than Skubal?
In this scenario, in return the Tigers get two close-to-the-bigs top prospects in Painter and Miller, a fun bat-first infielder in Escobar and a tall lefty in Graves from whom they can maybe coax more velocity.
The Phillies probably wouldn’t do something this aggressive. The Tigers probably won’t trade Skubal anyway. But this is the type of win-now, swing-for-the-fences move that contenders should be making more often. — Mintz
Marlins acquire OF Jarren Duran and DH Masataka Yoshida from Red Sox for RHP Edward Cabrera
What follows is a list of truths about the Boston Red Sox.
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The Red Sox have too many outfielders. In order to ensure an optimal alignment — glovesmith Ceddanne Rafaela in center and not second base — the Red Sox need to trade either Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran because, well, hot-shot slugger Roman Anthony isn’t going anywhere.
The Red Sox would love to offload as much of DH Masataka Yoshida’s contract ($18.6 million in 2026 and 2027) as possible. Unfortunately, he has turned into an offensive zero and a roster clogger. His contract is relevant because the Sox seem skittish about journeying deep into the first tier of the competitive balance tax, even though they should be operating like a financial bully. To bring back Alex Bregman, Boston is going to have to make a big commitment. Jettisoning Yoshida might make that math more comfortable.
The Red Sox could use one more dependable starter. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow already acquired Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo to slot in behind über-ace Garrett Crochet this winter, but one can never have too much rotation depth. Adding Cabrera would then allow Breslow to use any number of the preexisting, non-Payton Tolle depth options (Connelly Early, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, David Sandlin, Kyle Harrison) to acquire a hitter to replace Yoshida.
Why would the Marlins do this? Well, they probably won’t. This type of move doesn’t fit president of baseball operations Peter Bendix’s MO. If he parts with Cabrera, Bendix would probably want a player with more control than the three years left on Duran’s contract. But there’s certainly room on Miami’s payroll to absorb a bad contract such as Yoshida’s. The Marlins have run embarrassingly low payrolls the past few years and should start taking advantage of that space to acquire good players. If they don’t want to keep Yoshida, they can just cut him, but use the coin for something useful, for Pete’s sake.
That’s what Duran is. Sure, moving forward he’s probably not going to play like the MVP candidate he was in 2024, but the muscled-up outfielder is a productive player on the good side of 30 years old. The Fish have a chance to fight for a wild-card spot in 2026, and pairing Duran with Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee would give them one of baseball’s most underrated outfields. — Mintz
Red Sox acquire 2B Ketel Marte from Diamondbacks for LHP Payton Tolle, INF Kristian Campbell and SS Franklin Arias
The Red Sox have had their hand in a little bit of everything this offseason, and after striking out on big boppers Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, they can get their guy with Marte. Marte isn’t your average second baseman. He’s one of the best players in baseball and just a year removed from a third-place NL MVP finish in 2024. The acquisition of Marte would give the Red Sox the elite bat they need in the middle of their lineup, without requiring the team to move many foundational pieces.
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As for the Diamondbacks, they’re not going to trade an MVP-caliber player with six more seasons of club control for nothing. To make this trade, the Red Sox will have to give up a haul, moving top prospects Payton Tolle and Franklin Arías and former top prospect Kristian Campbell, who still has major upside. While Arias is about a year away from the big leagues, Tolle could slot right into Arizona’s rotation, and Campbell can take Marte’s vacant spot at second base and stay there after moving around in Boston.
This trade would help the Red Sox significantly, while Arizona would acquire multiple players who help their major-league roster both now and in the future. All that while still allowing the Diamondbacks the flexibility to make other moves to supplement their offense this offseason. — Dorsey
Mets acquire RHP Nick Pivetta from Padres for RHP Jonah Tong and INF/OF Jett Williams
It seems preposterous that after acquiring Nick Pivetta just a year ago, the Padres would be looking to move him. But with an ownership group in flux and a hefty payroll that has to come down, while trading the right-hander probably isn’t San Diego’s first choice, it might be what they have to do.
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What makes a Pivetta trade more challenging than other potential deals is that the right-hander has an opt-out at the end of the 2026 season. There’s no guarantee that he opts into the two years, $32 million on his contract for 2027 and 2028, which means acquiring him is something of a gamble. That makes the perfect trade partner — one with a big need for starting pitching and one that can afford the risk if Pivetta opts out — the Mets.
In the return, Tong has generated interest all around baseball, and after a solid first showing in the big leagues, he’s the type of young arm the Padres have been looking for. Meanwhile, Williams has always been a talented player with lots of tools, but he’s somewhat blocked in New York’s system. A move to San Diego would allow him the chance to play in the big leagues.
This is a solid trade that makes sense for both sides, and if Pivetta pitches well in Queens, he can assure himself another strong payday next offseason. — Dorsey
The time has finally arrived. Twelve regular season games, and the conference championship games, have all led up to this point. After all of the questions, debate, anger and anxiety; the first round of the College Football Playoff begins Friday! The excitement gets started with ninth-seeded Alabama visiting eighth-seeded Oklahoma. A rematch from the regular season in which the Sooners came out on top. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss the matchup and what they think both teams need to do to come out victorious. Then, they take a look at another big-time matchup that will see tenth-seeded Miami visit seventh-seeded Texas A&M. They discuss the quick turnaround A&M has made under Mike Elko and how Miami can come away victorious. Also, Godfrey discusses the Group of Five teams deserving a spot in the Playoff and Ross looks at the fourteen coaches who will be coaching in the Playoff despite having accepted a different coaching job for next season.
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Then, Ross talks about a story he wrote last year that is coming back to light. The current CFP agreement states that in the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will be guaranteed a spot in the field. It also states that a Top-12 ranked Notre Dame would automatically get a bid. This overlooked and forgotten caveat has become the topic of much debate. The crew discusses its impact and what may come of this agreement if the Playoff is expanded to 16 teams. They also dive into the NFL’s impact on the CFP and why some of the premiere college games this weekend are not in the premiere time slots.
Later, it’s time for I’ve Got A Feeling. You get double the picks today as the guys not only pick games for this weekend, but they also pick who they think will be crowned National Champion. Alabama, Miami and Montana State are the favorites for the weekend. Meanwhile, two Big Ten teams and one SEC team are chosen to win it all!
Get ready for the College Football Playoff with College Football Enquirer.
College Football Playoff First Round Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
After stabilizing somewhat following a dire start to the 2025-26 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves facing a number of decisions ahead of February’s trade deadline. One of them reportedly includes the future of sharpshooting swingman Klay Thompson, who has one more guaranteed season left on the contract he signed with the Mavericks in the summer of 2024 — and who would like to spend the balance of that pact on a team committed to competing for championships.
Dallas’ new front office is expected to explore his trade market near the deadline. Thompson’s desire is to play for a contender, league sources said, but the $17 million owed to him next season could make him challenging to move.
“The circumstances have changed since I signed here — I mean, obviously the personnel,” Thompson said. “But we still have a very talented team, and at the end of the day, I’m playing to win and nothing’s changed. My goals remain the same.”
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When Thompson says “obviously the personnel,” he is of course referring to the fact that when he agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal to leave the Golden State Warriors after 13 seasons and relocate to Dallas, he was doing so in large part for the purpose of playing alongside Luka Dončić — the kind of prime-aged offensive engine who, when healthy, all but guarantees a top-five offense, a playoff berth, a chance for a deep postseason run … and a steady diet of the most wide-open looks a 3-point shooter could ever ask for.
Thompson got all of 21 games alongside Dončić before then-Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison shockingly dealt the five-time All-NBA First Team selection to the Los Angeles Lakers — widely reported as the other team Thompson might angle his way toward in free agency, only to decide instead to head to Dallas — in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis. The deal, as you’ve probably heard mentioned once or twice, hasn’t worked out so hot for Dallas.
Luka’s playing at an MVP level for a Lakers team that sits third in the West. His erstwhile running buddy and expected successor as Dallas’ primary ball-handler, Kyrie Irving, tore his left ACL a month after the trade, missed the remainder of the 2024-25 season and has yet to make his 2025-26 debut. (Promising young center Dereck Lively II has missed the bulk of that time, too, and is out for the rest of this season after undergoing foot surgery.)
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Davis, for his part, suffered an injury midway through his first game in Dallas, suited up for just eight more Mavericks games last season, and suffered a calf strain a week into the ’25-26 campaign that cost him nearly a month. He has appeared in 22 of the Mavericks’ 62 games since the trade — a span in which the Mavs have gone 24-38.
This, to put it mildly, is not what Thompson had in mind when he signed up to spend his ages 34, 35 and 36 seasons with a Mavericks team that was fresh off an NBA Finals appearance but has plunged precipitously over the past 18 months. (Just ask Nico.)
You’d understand why a player like Thompson — a five-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion, two-time All-NBA selection, Olympic gold medalist and 15-year veteran who missed two full seasons in his prime due to devastating leg injuries — would want to prioritize trying to land in a winning environment during the latter years of his eventual Hall of Fame career. What kind of value he’d return on the trade market, though, remains unclear.
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For the season, Thompson’s averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.8 minutes per game, shooting just 39.7% on 2-pointers and 36.1% on 3-pointers — all at or near career lows. After he opened the season in the starting lineup, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd moved the struggling Thompson to the bench; his play has ticked up a bit over the last month as his formerly frigid jumper has thawed, with Klay knocking down 40.3% of his triples over the last 15 games, a span in which Dallas has outscored opponents by 1.9 points per 100 possessions in his minutes.
(It’s worth noting here the Mavericks have gone 5-3 since Davis’ return, they’ve scored like a top-10 offense over the past few weeks, and Davis is averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and three stocks in just 29.5 minutes per game this season. You can squint and envision a version of the Mavericks that has AD playing like this, Klay scorching the nets, Cooper Flagg continuing his evolution into an all-around game-wrecker and Irving returning to the fold developing into an absolute beast to deal with come springtime. You can also, of course, envision one injury — or, more likely, a slew of them — turning all those good vibes to another helping of ash in Mavs fans’ mouths … which is why it’s easy to understand ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting last week that Dallas is “open to exploring the trade markets” for Davis, Thompson, center Daniel Gafford and guard D’Angelo Russell, among others.)
Thompson virtually never gets to the rim anymore and is shooting a career-worst 40% when he does, but if his reversion to longstanding norms as one of the league’s most accurate high-volume shooters holds — he could still provide added perimeter firepower for a team looking to bolster its offense for a hoped-for playoff push.
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Like … maybe … for example … the one he left?
The Warriors sit an underwhelming 13-14 with the NBA’s 21st-ranked offense, despite Thompson’s longtime Splash Brother Stephen Curry averaging nearly 30 points per game on shooting splits just as pristine as ever. Asked by ESPN about the prospect of a reunion at some point in the future, Thompson demurred: “I don’t know. That’s a long ways away, man. That’s a lot of basketball to be had. I don’t know what the future holds.”
Curry, though, sure sounds like he’d be open to it.
“I wish he was still here,” Curry told ESPN. “… It would be unbelievable. If that time comes and that conversation is had, of course I’m calling him and saying, ‘We want you back.’ And hopefully that would be a welcome message to him. But as we stand right now, that does seem like a far distant reality. But so did him leaving.”
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle along with six others — including three family members — died in a plane crash Thursday at Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina.
Biffle, who spent 16 seasons driving in NASCAR’s top series, was 55.
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The other six victims included Biffle’s wife Cristina; their 5-year-old son Ryder; Biffle’s daughter from another marriage, Emma, 14; Dennis Dutton and his son Jack; and Craig Wadsworth, who was also a part of the NASCAR community.
“We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones,” the families said in a joint statement. “This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words.”
YouTube star and part-time NASCAR racer Garrett Mitchell — known as Cleetus McFarland — posted to Facebook that Biffle and his family were headed to visit Mitchell and his family. Biffle had appeared in numerous videos on Mitchell’s popular YouTube channel.
The Cessna C550 was scheduled to fly to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport from Statesville, about 40 miles north of Charlotte. Per FlightAware, it took off at 10:06 a.m. ET and traveled just 29 miles before it crashed while attempting to land back at Statesville at 10:32 a.m. ET.
The plane was owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC. The address listed on the FAA registry for the plane matches an address for Biffle in Mooresville, North Carolina.
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Biffle was born in Vancouver, Washington, and began his racing career in the Pacific Northwest, far from the Southeast epicenter of stock car racing. In 1998, he got his break when team owner Jack Roush gave him a ride in the third-tier Truck Series. He won a title in his third season, moved his way up to the second-tier Xfinity Series and won a title there, too. Then it was onto the top-tier Cup Series.
Biffle competed for 16 full or part-time seasons in NASCAR’s Cup Series from 2002 through 2022. He raced full-time in the Cup Series from 2003 through 2016 and scored 19 wins and 92 top-five finishes over 515 career starts.
His best season came in 2005, when he finished second to Tony Stewart in the points standings. Biffle’s six wins were the most of anyone in the Cup Series that season and his average finish of 11.9 was second only to Stewart.
(Yahoo Sports illustration)
Biffle finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series points standings in six different seasons. He was third in 2008 and finished fifth in 2012.
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Biffle is one of just two drivers to have won both a championship in the third-tier NASCAR Truck Series and the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series.
All 19 of Biffle’s Cup Series wins came while driving for Roush Racing. His last victory came at Michigan in 2013, 10 years after he won his first race in 2003.
“I have lost a dear friend and partner in our NASCAR program,” Jack Roush said in a statement. “His contributions to our race team over the years are immeasurable.”
Biffle drove for Roush Racing for nearly his entire Cup Series career before he parted ways with the team at the end of the 2016 season. He returned for five races in 2022 with back marker team FDNY Racing and never finished better than 20th in any of those starts. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers for NASCAR’s 75th anniversary in 2023 and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Biffle is elected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the near future.
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In a statement, NASCAR said the following:
“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many. His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport. On the track, Greg’s talent and tenacity earned him championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as numerous wins and accolades in the NASCAR Cup Series. Beyond his racing career, he gave of himself for the betterment of our community. Most notably, Greg spent countless hours of his time helping the citizens of North Carolina during the disasters that followed Hurricane Helene. His tireless work saved lives.”
In 2024, Biffle, a licensed pilot, used his helicopter and pilot skills to help people in remote areas of North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The hurricane had flooded out roads and caused significant infrastructure damage to the Appalachians due to flooding rains.
“It’s been busy — a lot of seat time in the helicopter, more than I ever would have imagined in my life,” Biffle said in an October 2024 interview with NASCAR.com. “But it feels good to be able to get supplies and things in need into these people that need the help the most, that are still cut off. The mission now, is, even though the roads are starting to open, the grocery stores aren’t. Some of the grocery stores are wiped out, gas stations still don’t have fuel, the power is not back on everywhere, so these folks still need supplies and food and they can’t just hop in their car and go driving around looking because they’ll ultimately end up out of gas somewhere and stranded.”
“I had such tremendous respect for Greg as a driver,” NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon said on X, “and we shared countless tough battles on the track. Like so many others, I was inspired by his tireless relief work during Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to the Biffle family and everyone hurting.”
Greg Biffle raced for 16 years in NASCAR, winning 19 races and earning $75 million in purses. Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, he was a top-10 fixture for a decade. But his most meaningful impact came long after he stopped driving full-time.
Biffle, who died Thursday along with six others in a plane crash, became a sudden, unexpected savior in the wake of 2024’s devastating Hurricane Helene. Flying his helicopter into and out of hurricane-ravaged areas of North Carolina, Biffle ferried emergency supplies in and brought rescued survivors out of the storm zone.
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He began by rescuing a family of tourists stranded in Banner Elk, North Carolina. And once he took to the skies — once he got a look at the carnage left by the hurricane — Biffle found a sudden calling. He flew multiple missions a day for nearly two weeks, in part buoyed by thousands of social media messages pleading him to help find loved ones.
“There’s no recollection of a road, an embankment. No ledge, no bridge, no anything for miles down these canyons, and we see people walking with backpacks trying to get help,” Biffle later recalled.
Leaving from the same Statesville airport where his plane crashed on Thursday morning, Biffle ran dozens of rescue missions into the mountains around Asheville, North Carolina, where washed-out roads had left many small towns isolated, cut off from the outside world and reachable only by air. He dropped off food, diapers and Starlink satellite connections, and he rescued those who needed extraction.
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“It feels good to be able to get supplies and things in need into these people that need the help the most, that are still cut off,” Biffle told NASCAR.com in October 2024. “The mission now is, even though the roads are starting to open, the grocery stores aren’t. Some of the grocery stores are wiped out, gas stations still don’t have fuel, the power is not back on everywhere, so these folks still need supplies and food, and they can’t just hop in their car and go driving around looking, because they’ll ultimately end up out of gas somewhere and stranded. So the mission continues.”
NASCAR is a tight-knit family largely centered in North Carolina, and Biffle’s example inspired the rest of the family to undertake other charitable efforts. Cup champions Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski offered support, equipment and logistical assistance. Charlotte Motor Speedway organized charity drives to collect needed items.
“I had such tremendous respect for Greg as a driver,” NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon said on X Thursday, “and we shared countless tough battles on the track. Like so many others, I was inspired by his tireless relief work during Hurricane Helene.”
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Biffle worked morning to night, until the sun dictated he couldn’t do anymore.
“The hardest thing was when I went home at night and landed in the dark because we just couldn’t fly anymore, my mind wouldn’t shut off,” Biffle said in September. “I’m sitting there at my counter looking through my phone just overwhelmed like what am I gonna do next.”
After flying dozens of Helene missions, Biffle eventually transitioned to a ground support role, but occasionally made his way back up to the mountains — dropping 4,000 Easter eggs this spring, for instance.
In his racing career, Biffle claimed wins at legendary NASCAR tracks like Daytona, Pocono and Darlington. But his greatest victories came in the remote hills and narrow canyons of western North Carolina.
All seven occupants of the plane were killed in the crash, which happened shortly after 10 a.m. ET. The plane, registered to Biffle’s GB Aviation LLC, took off from Statesville for Sarasota/Bradenton International, but turned around and attempted to land back at Statesville when it crashed.
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Biffle’s wife Cristina, his daughter Emma, 14, and Greg and Cristina’s son Ryder, 5, were on board along with Dennis and Jack Dutton and Craig Wadsworth, according to a statement from their families.
Biffle, 55, competed in over 500 Cup Series races and scored 19 wins with the team now known as Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. He won championships in both NASCAR’s third-tier Truck and second-tier Xfinity Series and had a NASCAR career that spanned over two decades. He also spent much of his time in the fall of 2024 helping victims of Hurricane Helene in rural North Carolina after the storm’s flooding rains took out infrastructure in that part of the state.
As news of the crash emerged on Thursday, many in and around the racing community took to social media to share their sadness.
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to preview the biggest games of NFL Week 16. The two hosts start by getting Lost in the Sauce on their three favorite games of the weekend, previewing both sides of the ball for Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears and New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens.
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Next, Nate & Charles reveal their key matchups to watch in Cheat Sheet as they preview a huge divisional battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the Carolina Panthers, plus the Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon.
The duo wrap things up with the Hail Mary bold predictions for the weekend, as Charles discusses a sneaky hoss fight between Josh Allen and Myles Garrett while Nate predicts a turnover-heavy day between Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence. Plus, Nate gets a grievance off his chest that you need to hear about people severely underrating the newest generation of quarterbacks.
(2:15) – Jaguars @ Broncos
(28:40) – Packers @ Bears
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(53:45) – Patriots @ Ravens
(1:16:15) – Buccaneers @ Panthers
(1:26:15) – Steelers @ Lions
(1:30:00) – Hail Mary predictions
(1:36:05) – Stop underrating modern quarterbacks
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) celebrates after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Ohio University fired head football coach Brian Smith for cause after just one season, the school announced Wednesday. Smith, 45, was fired after an administrative review revealed “serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University.”
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On Thursday, multiplereports citing public records uncovered details about that misconduct, which, reportedly included Smith’s romantic relationship with an undergraduate student and his alleged public intoxication.
In a notice of termination letter dated Dec. 12, Smith is accused of “extramarital affairs, including one with an undergraduate student,” at the Ohio University Inn that was witnessed by a player’s parent, according to The Athletic.
Smith’s lawyer, Rex Elliott, wrote in a response letter dated Dec. 16 that Smith and his wife had already separated and were in the process of getting divorced when Smith began a consensual relationship with the student, which Elliott stressed was not an “extramarital affair,” as reported by The Athletic. Elliott also wrote, according to The Post, that Smith ended that relationship when he learned she was a student.
Smith broke off the four-month relationship with the student in early November, Elliott wrote, per The Athletic. Smith was reportedly living at the Ohio University Inn while he was searching for more permanent housing. During that time, he encountered a player’s parents while he was in the company of a 41-year-old woman, Smith’s lawyer wrote, according to The Athletic.
Ohio University fired Brian Smith for cause Wednesday. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
(Jason Mowry via Getty Images)
Also in the termination letter, Smith was accused of acting intoxicated and smelling strongly of alcohol during a public appearance, although the university reportedly didn’t provide specifics on the occasion.
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Ohio athletic director Slade Larscheid and other administrators met with Smith on Nov. 24 over an allegation that he had violated a university and contractual policy related to “alcohol and other drugs,” according to his personnel file that was obtained by The Athletic. Smith reportedly acknowledged storing alcohol in his office desk drawer and that he had consumed alcohol in his office after normal business hours. He also, per The Athletic, acknowledged that “on occasion, a few assistant coaches, all over the age of 21, joined him privately in his office after games for a single drink of bourbon.”
That is a direct violation of Ohio University employee policy. Smith also received a formal reprimand in a letter from Larscheid on Nov. 25.
“You further acknowledged that you were initially unfamiliar with the policy but now understand its requirements. You affirmed your commitment to comply with university policy moving forward and recognized that consuming or storing alcohol on university property is strictly prohibited,” it said in the Nov. 25 letter, via The Athletic. “Future violations of University Policy 41.133 or other University policies, may result in further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of your employment. You are expected to fully comply with all university policies and maintain professional conduct at all times.”
In the response letter, Smith’s lawyer claims that the coach was never drunk at an Ohio University event.
The day after Elliott’s response to the termination letter, Smith was fired for cause.
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Elliott released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying “we vigorously dispute” the university’s grounds for termination and “plan to fight … to protect [Smith’s] good name.”
After taking over as interim head coach last season following the departure of Tim Albin — and leading the Bobcats to a win in the Cure Bowl — Smith was named the team’s full-time head coach for the 2025 season.
Ohio performed well under Smith, going 8-4 during the 2025 campaign. That earned the team a bowl game against UNLV, which is set to be played Dec. 23.
But Smith will not coach the team in that contest. On Dec. 1, he was placed on indefinite leave by the university. Defensive coordinator John Hauser was elevated to interim head coach following that decision.
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The school said Wednesday its search for a new head coach “will begin immediately.”
Prior to coaching at Ohio University, Smith held a number of assistant and coordinator jobs across college football. He had three separate stints at Hawaii and has served as either an offensive coordinator or offensive positions coach at every stop before being elevated into his first head-coaching position with Ohio last season.
