Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly The Cincinnati Bearcats are 12-0 and heading to the Sugar Bowl, but shortly, they will have no coach. According to sources, Kelly will be the new football coach at Notre Dame.

Neither Notre Dame nor Cincinnati has confirmed that Kelly has accepted an offer to coach the Fighting Irish, and Kelly could not be reached for comment, but the sources say that Kelly is Notre Dame's choice to replace the fired Charlie Weis.

Brian Kelly is expected to address the Notre Dame situation with the Bearcats before their annual football banquet on Thursday. Cincinnati announced it will bar media from the banquet.

However, at this point, it is thought to be a fore gone conclusion
that he is gone.

Kelly ascension to the Notre Dame job would mark a journey from winning Division II titles at Grand Valley State through Central Michigan to Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to back-to-back Big East championships.

Although, nothing is official, there is no reason to believe that Kelly will be on the side-line for the Bearcats for the Sugar Bowl.

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Kelly would not coach the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl if hired by Notre Dame, and that associate head coach/defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs would be his likely replacement.

Butch Jones of the Central Michigan Chippewas appears to be the front runner for the now vacant Cincinnati job.