Norm Chow, the offensive mind who helped USC win two national titles, has agreed to join UCLA's staff as offensive coordinator, sources familiar with the situation told the Los Angeles Times.

Rick Neuheisel coveted Chow, a Punahou School alum and former Waialua High football coach, from the moment he was hired as Bruins coach in late December, but the chances of landing the 61-year-old coach were minuscule. That changed when Chow was fired by the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 14.

After taking a few days to discuss the situation with his family, Chow agreed to sign on across town from where he developed two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks for USC. Chow spent four seasons with the Trojans.

Chow has long been considered an innovative and effective offensive coordinator. He spent 18 seasons as offensive coordinator at Brigham Young, where he directed an aerial circus that won the national title in 1984. Under his guidance at USC, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart won Heisman Trophies, while the Trojans won national titles in 2003 and 2004.

Chow had interviewed for the UCLA head coach job but withdrew his name, though sources at the university said he was already out of the running.

Neuheisel expressed immediate interest in Chow after being hired Dec. 29, but that seemed more a pipe dream as Chow had recently signed a two-year contract extension worth more than $1 million a season.

The contract extension from the Titans worked in Neuheisel's favor, as he is able to land a million-dollar assistant coach at a college-level salary. Chow will still be paid by the Titans, with his UCLA salary deducted from the sum.

The Bruins ranked 101st out of 119 NCAA Division I teams in passing offense and 92nd in scoring offense last season.

RODRIGUEZ TO GET $2.5M PER YEAR AT MICHIGAN

Rich Rodriguez agreed to a six-year deal worth $2.5 million annually when he left West Virginia last month for Michigan.

The contract, which has not been finalized or signed, also includes a $4 million buyout. The terms of Rodriguez's deal were confirmed yesterday by school spokesman Bruce Madej.

West Virginia has sued Rodriguez to collect on a $4 million buyout clause in his contract with the Mountaineers.

When Rodriguez was introduced as Michigan's new coach Dec. 17, school officials declined to comment on any details of the deal.

The Ann Arbor News reported Rodriguez signed a letter of intent Dec. 16, the day before his first news conference in Ann Arbor, after obtaining several parameters of the contract through a public records request.

SKIING

MILLER SETS U.S. RECORD WITH 28 WORLD CUP WINS

Bode Miller finally had something to cheer about yesterday at the traditional Hahnenkamm World Cup races in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Earlier this week, he accused organizers of making the famous Streif downhill course much bumpier and dangerous than it already was. He also criticized organizers for disrespecting the 68-year-old history of the event by changing the slalom course.

But yesterday, Miller won the combined title for the slalom and Saturday's downhill, which means he is now the most successful American skier in history with 28 World Cup wins, overtaking Phil Mahre.

"It's a nice record, something you dream about as a kid," the 30-year-old Miller said. "As a professional skier, you're more focused on winning each individual race. Before the season, it was my target to break that record, and it's a really good feeling if you reach your goals."

Jean-Baptiste Grange earned his fourth win of the season in the slalom race.

Miller finished 14th in the slalom after taking second in the downhill, which earned him the classic combined title at the Hahnenkamm races.

Benjamin Raich was second in the combined and went back to the top of the overall World Cup standings, leading Miller by 29 points.

SOCCER

U.S. WOMEN BEAT CHINA FOR FOUR NATIONS TITLE

Shannon Boxx scored on a looping header in the 77th minute yesterday and the United States beat China, 1-0, to win the Four Nations Tournament at Guangzhou, China.

The Chinese held off the Americans with a conservative, low-pressure game, as their players sagged back in their own half of the field most of the time.

But the Americans — undefeated in the three-game tournament — kept attacking and eventually Boxx headed the ball over the goalkeeper from 11 yards out.

"At the end of the day, it was speed," said new U.S. coach Pia Sundhage.

Canada finished third after a long-range goal by Jodi-Ann Robinson in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a 1-1 draw with Finland. The Finns scored in the first half.

ELSEWHERE

Sailing: Francis Joyon had no heat, no companions and little sleep for nearly two months as he sailed around the globe. Now he has a stunning world record. The 51-year-old Frenchman circled the planet alone in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, 6 seconds in a trimaran, shattering the record set by Ellen MacArthur by two weeks. Joyon started out in Brest, France, on Nov. 23, then looped under South Africa and Australia and Chile before heading back for the French shore.

Super-G: Maria Holaus broke through for her first World Cup victory yesterday, and Julia Mancuso finished second again, leaving the American still looking for her first win of the season. Holaus took advantage of an early start position to win a sunny Super-G at Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, covering the melting Olympia delle Tofane course in 1 minute, 24.63 seconds. Mancuso, the Olympic giant slalom champion, finished 0.23 behind.