SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Whether Charlie Weis would return as Notre Dame's coach was going to be determined after a review that would last "a period of time," according to new athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

That period of time apparently lasted about 48 hours.

Multiple reports Tuesday said Weis would return to the Irish sideline for a fifth season in 2009 despite two disappointing seasons on the heels of two Bowl Championship Series bids.

The South Bend Tribune and WNDU-TV cited anonymous sources in reporting Weis' return.

Multiple efforts to reach Swarbrick on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Football team spokesman Brian Hardin said he had no information to confirm Weis would be back.

John Heisler, senior associate athletic director for media relations, said he had no knowledge of an imminent announcement.

Swarbrick was on the West Coast on a fundraising trip Tuesday in San Jose, Calif. Weis has been recruiting all week on the West Coast as well. Both men are expected to be in South Bend by Thursday.

The Irish's regular season ended with a 38-3 dismantling Saturday at the hands of Southern California. That dropped Weis' record to 9-15 in his last two seasons.

After that game, Swarbrick said he would begin the review process for the football program as he would with any team and its staff.

He indicated at the time that he would not meet with Weis until early next week and that no movement would occur until the two had discussed the state of affairs.

"Nothing will happen until we complete the entire review process," Swarbrick said Saturday. "We do that as a regular course. It doesn't assume something will happen."

So if the reports turn out to be accurate, Notre Dame won't have to worry about Brian Kelly not being a candidate. The Cincinnati coach said he was staying put Tuesday, even when asked directly about the Notre Dame possibility.

"All I can say is that with all the speculation and all the jobs that have been out there, sooner or later, no means no," Kelly told reporters.

"No one ever speaks in terms of forever and ever (but) for the present and the future I expect to be here at ... Cincinnati."