WEIS FIRING RUMORS INTENSIFY

We’ve picked up more info over at CFT regarding the growing likelihood that Cincinnati Bearcats coach Brian Kelly will soon be bolting the program -- and the ensuing scuttlebutt that Kelly will become the next coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As MDS points out, barring an upset of historic proportions when Notre Dame squares off against USC on Saturday, it looks like coach Charlie Weis will be getting the shoe in South Bend, and that Kelly will be named the replacement. One of our NFL sources believes that Lane Kiffin’s reported arrival as the new coach at the University of Tennessee is a strong sign that Kelly passed on the opportunity to upgrade his situation, and that Kelly declined specifically because he’s being lined up to become the next can’t-miss candidate to remove the tarnish from the Golden Dome. Meanwhile, the firing of Weis likely would result in his return to the ranks of NFL assistant coaches. Then again, he might decide to take a season off in search of the right opportunity. Before getting the gig at ND, Weis had long coveted a shot at becoming an NFL head coach. As legend has it, his decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery resulted from the perception that pro owners are not interested in giving a top job to a portly coach. UPDATE: To the extent that there’s any doubt regarding the ongoing existence of a solid relationship between Weis and Pats coach Bill Belichick, here’s a picture of the duo embracing after the Patriots beat the Giants last December to cap a 16-0 regular season. (Thanks to the reader who sent us the link.)