Sports Digest: Brian Kelly chooses to remain coach at Notre Dame

Coach Brian Kelly will be back with Notre Dame next season after leading the Fighting Irish to the BCS title game this past season.

Kelly, who interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles last week, says Saturday that his interest with the NFL is over for now.

"Like every kid who has ever put on a pair of football cleats, I have had thoughts about being a part of the NFL. However, after much reflection and conversation with those closest to me, I have decided to remain at Notre Dame," Kelly said in a statement.

The remarks were the first comments by Kelly since news broke Wednesday that he had interviewed with the Eagles a day after the Irish were beaten 42-14 by Alabama in Miami.

Kelly has a 28-11 record in three seasons with Notre Dame, including 12-1 this past season.

But the damage of Kelly interviewing with the Eagles cost the Irish a prized recruit from Pennsylvania. Linebacker Alex Anzalone was expected to enroll early for classes at Notre Dame last week, but instead enrolled at Florida.

Maryland's Patrick Mullins and North Carolina's Crystal Dunn won the Hermann Trophy as the top college soccer players. Ballots were cast by NCAA Division I coaches.

class="subhead">Golf

PGA Tour rookies Russell Henley and Scott Langley will play the final round together at the Sony Open. Henley two-putted from 30 feet for birdie on 18 for a 3-under 67. That gave him a share of the lead with Langley (65) in Honolulu. They set the 54-hole tournament record at 17-under 193 and had a three-shot lead over Tim Clark (66).

Scott Jamieson had a 4-under 68 and took a five-shot lead in the Volvo Champions, while Louis Oosthuizen faded in the third round at Durban (South Africa) Country Club. Jamieson had a 15-under 201 total to lead runners-up Oosthuizen (74), Thongchai Jaidee (73) and Julien Quesne (67).

Miscellany

NASCAR's biggest free agent is off the market. Kyle Busch signed a multiyear deal with Joe Gibbs Racing in December, multiple sources told ESPN. Busch had only one Sprint Cup win last year for JGR.

Alice McKennis earned her first World Cup victory by winning a women's downhill in St. Anton, Austria. U.S. teammate Lindsey Vonn was sixth after returning from a nearly monthlong break. McKennis finished in 1 minute, 14.62 seconds to beat Daniela Merighetti by 0.07. ... American Ted Ligety won a World Cup giant slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland. He finished 1.15 seconds ahead of Fritz Dopfer in a two-run time of 2:28.67.

Jockey Gary Stevens won his first race since ending a seven-year retirement last week. On his third mount in his comeback, Stevens rode Branding to a 2½-length win at Santa Anita. It was win No. 4,889.

Reliever Mason Tobin, 25, signed a minor-league deal with the Giants with an invite to spring training. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since April 2011 with Texas. Tobin has undergone Tommy John surgery twice.