PITTSBURGH — Don Long, a longtime minor league hitting coach and manager, was hired Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates' hitting coach.

The 45-year-old Long was the Phillies' minor league hitting coordinator for the last nine seasons, working with former Philadelphia Triple-A manager John Russell, the Pirates' newly hired manager.

Long also spent 12 seasons as a manager in the Angels' farm system, winning manager of the year awards in the Pacific Coast League, Texas League and Midwest League.

This is Long's first major league job.

The Pirates also released their spring training schedule, which includes the first two night games in the history of McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla. The ballpark opened in 1923 and, even after being rebuilt in 1993, never had lights until a $1 million lighting system was installed this year.

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi athletic director Pete Boone thinks he's finally found his football coach. He had to pay dearly to land Houston Nutt, though.Nutt will make $1.7 million to start and $2 million in the fourth year of his contract, plus incentives. Former coach Ed Orgeron made just $900,000, among the lowest salaries in the Southeastern Conference.Nutt will be introduced as Ole Miss' coach at a news conference today in Oxford. He resigned from Arkansas on Monday after 10 years and accepted an offer from Boone less than four hours later.

BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College's Jace Lumley scored 30 points and Nick Morrow netted 12 Monday in the Planets' 69-65 win over the Geneva College Junior Varsity.The Pioneers (1-6) play at Jamestown (N.Y.) Community College next Tuesday.