Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said his firing was handled poorly

Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he was stunned at the timing of his firing last December and believes his dismissal was handled poorly. McCarthy told ESPN in a story posted Wednesday he knew it might be in trouble if the Packers missed the playoffs. But he was fired with four games left after the Packers lost at home to Arizona, dropping the team to 4-7-1.

"If we missed the playoffs, I expected change might happen," McCarthy said. "But the timing surprised me. It couldn't have been handled any worse."

McCarthy said he was summoned to a meeting with team president Mark Murphy after the loss and fired in a discussion he said was impersonal and "hard to swallow." He said he always tried to be gentle in releasing players and didn't get the same treatment.

"Mark said it was an ugly loss, and it was time to make a change," McCarthy said. "He said something about the offense and the special teams, and he didn't think it was going to get any better. There was no emotion to it. That was hard."

McCarthy was in his 13th season as coach and won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. He finished his tenure in Green Bay with a record of 125-77-2.

McCarthy said he is taking a year off but working hard to prepare for a possible coaching job next season.

"Time provides the opportunity for reflection and clarity and that's where I'm at now," said McCarthy, who interviewed for the Jets' coaching job that went to Adam Gase. "And it's clear to me now that both sides needed a change."

Free agent receiver Ryan Grant signed with the Raiders. Grant made a career-best 10 starts last season for the Colts, finishing with 35 catches for 334 yards and a touchdown in his lone season with Indianapolis after spending his first four years with Washington. ... The wife of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said on Instagram that she's planning to undergo surgery for a recently diagnosed brain tumor.

NCAA champion Jennifer Kupcho didn't immediately grasp the significance of hitting the opening shot in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur until the silence that greeted her on the first tee.

Kupcho, the top-ranked female amateur in the world, played bogey-free at Champions Retreat Golf Club for a 4-under 68 and share of the lead with 16-year-old Zoe Campos.

After another round at Champions Retreat, the top 30 from the 72-player field face a final round Saturday at Augusta National, making them the first women to compete at the home of the Masters.

"It was very official," Kupcho said. "I walked up, everyone was very quiet, like no talking to each other at all. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is crazy.' "

College football: Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle was granted a waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible to play next season. The redshirt freshman transferred from Utah and will have four years of eligibility left.

The Gophers earned their seventh class of 2020 commitment Wednesday night. Lucas Finnessy, an outside linebacker, is a native of Sussex, Wis., out of Hamilton High School. The 6-3, 225-pounder is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Finnessy announced his decision on Twitter.

•Nate Oakland was named coach of the Upper Iowa women's basketball program. He was an assistant coach with the North Dakota State women the past two seasons.