Weis Is Out At Notre Dame ... So Who's Next?

A source close to the Notre Dame program has confirmed to The Señior that Charlie Weis is out after five tumultuous seasons in South Bend.

Let's face it, a start that looked like Weis would actually return the Irish to national prominence, the program has collapsed to a new low with 21 losses in three years, the worst stretch in team history.
The firing was inevitable and Weis will surely pick up the pieces and return to the NFL, where he still has three rings to show for his work as an offensive coordinator. But the bigger question is: who's next?
We'll surely hear names like Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher tossed around, but this isn't 1984. This job is no longer what it used to be, regardless if it's back by a mammoth NBC contract and the money-lined pockets of boosters. The candidates won't be no-names, but they won't be as earth-shattering as the program may want to believe. Here are three realistic candidates AD Jack Swarbrick should be on the phone with immediately.
1. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati. He should have been hired by Michigan instead of Rich Rodriguez, but Notre Dame can snag the hottest yet-to-have-a-big-job coach in the nation by giving the keys to Kelly, who has won at every level, including multiple national championships at FCS' Grand Valley State. Of course, the negative is that he won multiple national championships at FCS' Grand Valley State and not a school that the lay fan has ever heard of. Kelly has yet to prove that he can win against legit competition (sorry, Big East but it's true) and that may be his biggest downfall in the process. Plus, he's an offensive-minded coach and sources tell me they're eying a coach with a defensive pedigree.
2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. If they want defense, this is their guy. Ferentz's M.O. is strong defense and a running game. It's the exact opposite of Weis, but hey, Jim Tressel is going to his seventh BCS game with Ohio State using the same gameplan. The drawbacks are, well, weighty as far as pocketbooks go. Ferentz signed an extension before this season that runs through 2015, meaning after paying Weis nearly $18 million to leave town, Notre Dame would have to pay Iowa an exuberant amount just for the right to ink Ferentz to a sizable contract. Also, let's not discount the fact that Ferentz's son, James, is a redshirt freshman and he'd surely like to coach his son. He's appealing and fits the bill, but he may ultimately not be interested.
3. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford. He's shown that he can recruit and win with the same academic standards as Notre Dame and would have the name cache that could make a splash. But with Andrew Luck and Toby Gerhart returning, why would he want to leave now when he will be one of the favorites to win the Pac-10 next season. Plus, he seems much more suited for Michigan, a job that could be open next season should RichRod continue his run of ineptitude.
So who should Notre Dame hire? He may not fit what Swarbrick is supposedly seeking, but Kelly is truly the no-brainer on this list. Kelly, a Midwest guy, has shown that he can win without blue chip prospects and do it consistently. Plus, is there a more Irish sounding name out there?