Brian Kelly to Tampa?

Another 12-1 record means NFL coaching rumors once again swirl around the mind of Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly.

David Haugh of 670 The Score reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have named Kelly a coach of interest after firing Dirk Koetter. Koetter went 19-29 in three seasons with the Buccaneers.

Buccaneers owner/co-chairman Joel Glazer hired the searching firm Korn-Ferry to conduct its search to fill its head-coaching vacancy.

A source stated that the next head coach would make $10 million and given full control of football operations, overseeing the entire organization and answering only to ownership.

Kelly currently makes $2.1 million at Notre Dame. His recent contract extension expires after the 2021 season.

After the Fighting Irish finished 12-1 in 2012, Kelly was named a replacement candidate in the Philadelphia Eagles coaching search that eventually landed to current UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who only lasted three seasons.

The rumors arise as  Kelly is moving on from a lopsided 30-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Clemson last Saturday.  He has also won Coach of the Year honors for the 2018 season.

Kelly’s interests remain unclear, but an $8 million increase in salary is too tempting for him to ignore.

By Brenden Curry