• Colts hire Eagles executive Grigson as GM: The Indianapolis Colts have hired Eagles executive Ryan Grigson as their new general manager. The team announced the hiring Wednesday. The 39-year-old Grigson has spent the past nine years with Philadelphia, where he was named director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as college scouting director. Colts owner Jim Irsay last week fired vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, Chris, the Colts’ GM, after a 2-14 season.

• Jaguars introduce new coach: Mike Mularkey is far from a splashy hire. The Jacksonville Jaguars know it, and everyone around the league seems to be talking about it. New owner Shahid Khan he spoke with some big-name candidates, and then decided to make the “smart” choice by hiring Mularkey. The former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator was introduced as the franchise’s fourth head coach Wednesday and did little to alter his reputation as a colorless coach. The Jaguars didn’t seem to mind. Although there were some who thought Khan would spend big for a well-known coach, he questioned whether those guys would be successful “after the splash.” He believes Mularkey will.

• Packers OC Philbin away from team indefinitely: Mike McCarthy called it a “punch in the heart.” Then the typically stoic Green Bay Packers coach briefly lost his composure, pausing for several seconds as he choked up with emotion. It was another sign of how hard the team has been hit by the death of Michael Philbin, the son of Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. With Sunday’s playoff game against the New York Giants to prepare for — and a Super Bowl repeat to strive for — real life has knocked the Packers back. “I think the reality of this just gave everybody a punch in the heart to let you know the reality,” McCarthy said, pausing and looking downward as he gathered his emotions. “How fortunate to be where we are.” Philbin wasn’t with the team Wednesday and will be away indefinitely as he and his family deal with the loss of Michael, whose body was recovered from an icy Wisconsin river on Monday.

• Jets hire Sparano as offensive coordinator: The New York Jets hired the former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano as their offensive coordinator Wednesday to replace Brian Schottenheimer and take over an offense that struggled mightily this season as New York failed to make the playoffs. The team announced the hiring just over 12 hours after announcing that Schottenheimer told the Jets he wouldn’t return next season despite having two years left on his contract. Schottenheimer, the son of former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, was highly criticized for the Jets’ inconsistencies as they ranked 25th overall in offense.

• Heisman winner RG3 officially jumping to NFL: Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III made it official Wednesday, announcing he would skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft after a college career in which he set or tied 54 school records in 41 games. It was a month and a day after RG3 became the first Baylor player to win the Heisman Trophy. “Obviously you want to leave something better than you found it,” Griffin said. “I can say we’ve done that.”

• Penn State president faces alumni over sex scandal: Penn State University President Rodney Erickson was grilled Wednesday in Pittsburgh by alumni unhappy about how the school handled a child sex abuse scandal, the firing of longtime football coach Joe Paterno and a lack of transparency over the case. Erickson is attempting to repair the school’s image with alumni, faculty, staff and students more than two months since former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky’s arrest brought controversy, criticism and contemplation to the school. Erickson, who was greeted by polite applause, told the crowd Wednesday night in Pittsburgh that openness and communication are his guiding principles. He said critics have accused the school of having problems in those areas recently and the school “will do better in the future.” When he said he won’t allow the scandal to define the university nor “our outstanding football program,” the audience of about 600 people burst into applause.

• Arizona hires WVU’s defensive coordinator: Longtime West Virginia defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel is reuniting with old boss Rich Rodriguez at Arizona. Rodriguez announced the hiring of Casteel and three other coaches Wednesday to complete the staff in his new job with the Wildcats. Casteel had been defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Mountaineers since 2003 and was co-coordinator the season before that. Rodriguez, the head coach at West Virginia from 2001-07, is bringing in two others from the Mountaineers’ staff: David Lockwood as defensive backs coach and Bill Kirelawich as defensive line coach.