The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson yesterday, the first of what's likely to be many offseason moves after the team with the league's highest payroll again flopped in the first round of the playoffs.

Johnson leaves with an impressive resume after three-plus seasons, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban couldn't tolerate two straight years of first-round exits — or the fact that Dallas has gone 3-12 in the playoffs since blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA finals against Miami.

The Mavericks followed that 2006 disappointment by the embarrassment of being ousted by Golden State in the opening round last season in one of the biggest upsets in league history. And they were just dumped in five games by Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets.

Dallas didn't win a single road game against the Heat, Warriors or Hornets, an 0-9 skid that was too much to overcome.

The final mark during Johnson's tenure: 194-70 in the regular season, 23-24 in the playoffs.

"It is never easy to relieve a coach of his duties, especially one of Avery's caliber," Cuban said in a statement. "He is a talented coach and I want to thank him for his efforts over the last four years and what he has done for this franchise.".

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BCS PLAYOFF REJECTED

Even a three-game playoff was too much for the BCS.

Bowl Championship Series officials rejected a plan yesterday in Hollywood, Fla., to turn the much-criticized system for deciding a national champ into a playoff involving four teams, starting in the 2010 season.

The BCS format will remain the same until at least the 2014 season.

"After a very thorough, very good discussion among the group, we have decided that because we feel at this time the BCS is in an unprecedented state of health, we feel it's never been healthier during its first decade, we have made a decision to move forward in the next cycle with the current format," Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford said

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BENNETT GOT GOOD DEAL

Washington State released men's basketball coach Tony Bennett's amended contract yesterday, upgraded after the Cougars went to the Sweet 16 and he rebuffed several enticing — and more lucrative — offers elsewhere. The new pact bumps up his deal by $200,000, giving him a guaranteed $1 million annually.

The contract also was extended by a year to 2015, giving him seven more seasons.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

Lynda Barnes won the United States Bowling Congress Queens for the second time, finishing with three strikes for a 215-195 victory over Amy Stolz last night at Skore Lanes in Taylor, Mich. ... The College World Series will be played in Omaha at least through 2030, under an agreement the city and NCAA reached yesterday. ... Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova pulled out of next week's German Open in Berlin because of an unspecified injury.