Underachieving Blues replace Murray

The worst home record in the NHL led to the end of Andy Murray’s tenure as St. Louis Blues coach.

The franchise replaced the 58-year-old Murray on Saturday, hoping his successor can better motivate a youthful roster that has underachieved. Davis Payne, coach of the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Peoria, Ill., was appointed interim head coach and guided St. Louis at home in its 6-3 loss to Chicago on Saturday night.

“To give Andy some slack, we fast-tracked here,� team President John Davidson said. “These kids were raw when they got here.�

Murray, a former coach of the Kings, presided over a second-half surge that led the Blues to a playoff berth last spring, and the team picked up the option on his contract in September.

“We just lost too many games we were in a position to win,� Murray said. “Way too many losses at home, too many games we were leading. We’re a .500 team and we haven’t played good enough. Ultimately, that’s what I’m judged on.�

The Blues are 6-14-3 at home, including a season-opening victory in Sweden, and have lost five in a row. The final blow for Murray came at home Thursday night when the Blues squandered a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 overtime loss to Vancouver.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Evans beats Silva by unanimous decision

Former light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans beat Thiago Silva by unanimous decision in UFC 108 at Las Vegas, bouncing back from his only professional loss.

Evans used his superior wrestling skills to control the bout through the first two rounds, then survived the third round after nearly being knocked out by a straight right from Silva. All three judges at the MGM Grand Garden Arena scored the bout 29-28.

COLLEGES

Cal tailback Best headed to the NFL

California star tailback Jahvid Best announced that he will skip his senior year and make himself available for the NFL draft after a disappointing final college season cut short by injury.

Best sat out the final four games of the season after a frightening fall knocked him out and sent him to a hospital with a concussion and sore back.

Tennessee basketball Coach Bruce Pearl apologized to fans and fellow coach Pat Summitt for the arrests of four members of his No. 14 basketball team.

Senior forward Tyler Smith, sophomore guard Cameron Tatum, junior center Brian Williams and junior point guard Melvin Goins are facing misdemeanor drug, gun and alcohol charges. Knoxville police arrested the four Friday after stopping the car they were in for speeding.

Pearl said he has called the parents of all his players and even sent a text message to Lady Vols coach Summitt to apologize if his team has tarnished the school’s image.

The four players are indefinitely suspended, and Pearl said dismissal could be an option.

ETC.

Pearce in critical but stable condition

American snowboarder Kevin Pearce was in critical condition at a Utah hospital after suffering a “severe, traumatic brain injury� Thursday in a training accident, one of his doctors said.

Pearce is in the University of Utah Hospital’s intensive care unit in Salt Lake City. Dr. Holly Ledyard said Pearce is stable and has not yet needed surgery.

“Kevin sustained a severe, traumatic brain injury . . . (and) is being kept sedated,� Ledyard said in a statement released by the snowboarder’s publicist. “The focus over the next week will be watching for any swelling in his brain and keeping his brain pressure normal.�

Pearce was preparing for next week’s Olympic qualifying events at Mammoth Mountain when he hit his head during a training run in Park City, Utah.

Rafael Nadal ended a two-match losing streak to Robin Soderling, beating the Swede, 7-6 (3), 7-5, in the final of the season-opening Capitala exhibition tournament at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.