South Bend, Ind. — Charlie Weis arrived at Notre Dame flashing Super Bowls rings and talking about outscheming opponents. He leaves one of college football’s most prestigious programs without even matching the records of the two men who were fired before him.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision to let Weis go Monday and said during a campus news conference that the school has not contacted any potential replacements.

The search for a new coach will begin immediately and will be finished “as fast as we possibly can,” Swarbrick said.

Notre Dame (6-6) finished the season on a four-game losing streak that made Weis’ firing seem inevitable, though the athletic director insisted it wasn’t.

On Sunday night, Swarbrick recommended to the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, that Weis be let go with six years left on his contract. Weis finishes with a 35-27 record in five seasons, third-worst among coaches who worked at least three years at the school.

Assistant head coach Rob Ianello will step in for Weis until a new coach is hired.

Among the top names mentioned, Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops already have said they plan to stay where they are. Speaking on a conference call Monday, Stoops said: “I’m going to be at Oklahoma next year, so I can’t be at two places at once.”

Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has also been mentioned, along with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and TCU’s Gary Patterson.

NFL

Chiefs haven’t called Weis

Kansas City, Mo. — Chiefs coach Todd Haley insisted Monday that the team has not contacted Charlie Weis about joining the staff in Kansas City.

But Haley, a rookie head coach who also is calling plays as offensive coordinator, acknowledged that someday he would prefer to let someone else be coordinator and call the plays.

“I believe in my heart of hearts that’s the way to be the most efficient,” Haley said. “It’s fun calling plays. There’s no doubt about that. I’ve also said my job is to be the head coach of the team and if and when that’s possible, I would think that, in my opinion, is the best way to run the operation.

“If you get the right situation.”

Weis was fired Monday as coach at Notre Dame. He and Haley worked together when they were assistants with the New York Jets. Weis also won Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator in New England, when Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli was the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel.

Panthers LB arrested

Charlotte, N.C. — Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has been arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an incident at a strip club.

Delhomme breaks finger

Charlotte, N.C. — A broken finger — not coach John Fox — may bench struggling Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Fox said Monday that Delhomme fractured a finger on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets and may be replaced by untested Matt Moore next week against Tampa Bay.

Falcons’ Ryan out 1 game

Flowery Branch, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons will be without quarterback Matt Ryan as they try to improve their playoff hopes in a key NFC game against Philadelphia this week. Coach Mike Smith said Monday that Ryan will miss at least one game due to a turf toe injury.

NBA

Hinrich sprains thumb

Chicago — Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich will be out one to two weeks because of a sprained left thumb, an injury he sustained during a practice last week while the team was on a West Coast road trip.

A Kansas University product, Hinrich has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 assists.

76ers meet with Iverson

Philadelphia — Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers are in talks for a surprising sequel.

Iverson and top Sixers officials met to discuss a possible return to the team, a scenario once thought impossible after their acrimonious split three years ago. Team president Ed Stefanski said in a statement that both parties remain noncommittal about a final decision after a nearly two-hour meeting Monday in Dallas.

Vandeweghe to coach Nets

New Jersey Nets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe is set to become the team’s coach for the rest of the season.

Vandeweghe won’t coach his first game with the team until Friday, a person with knowledge of the team’s plans told the Associated Press on Monday.

Tom Barrise, who led the team Sunday night after Lawrence Frank was fired, will coach again Wednesday against Dallas, when the Nets can set an NBA record with an 18th straight loss to begin a season.

Golf

Woods withdraws

Thousand Oaks, Calif. — Tiger Woods still isn’t talking. Now he’s not playing, either.

Woods withdrew Monday from his own golf tournament, citing injuries from a car crash near his Florida home. His decision comes as questions continue to mount regarding what exactly happened in the wee hours of the morning last Friday.

“I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week,” Woods said. “I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I’m very sorry that I can’t be there.”

College football

FSU’s Bowden undecided

Tallahassee, Fla. — Bobby Bowden says he has not made a decision about his coaching future at Florida State and plans to meet with university officials again today.

The Tallahassee Democrat and ESPN.com reported Bowden, the second-winningest coach in major college football history, is expected to announce his retirement this morning.

Weatherbie out at Monroe

Monroe, La. — Louisiana-Monroe will not renew the contract of football coach Charlie Weatherbie.

Weatherbie finished this season 6-6. In seven seasons with the Warhawks, he was 31-51.

Before taking over at Louisiana-Monroe in 2003, Weatherbie also coached at Utah State and Navy. He has a 76-115 in 17 seasons as a head coach.

LSU launches probe

Baton Rouge, La. — LSU is investigating possible NCAA violations involving an assistant football coach and a member of the team that has not played this season.

College basketball

KU near-unanimous No. 1

Only once before has the Associated Press college basketball poll changed as much as it did Monday.

Only once before has Portland been in the Top 25.

The Pilots were among a record-tying seven teams to move into the rankings Monday.

Kansas University, which had two easy wins last week, was No. 1 for the fourth straight poll, this time falling just two votes of being unanimous, while Texas and Villanova both moved up one spot to second and third.

The Jayhawks (5-0) had 63 first-place votes from the national media panel, while Texas (5-0), which matched the highest ranking in school history, and No. 8 Syracuse (6-0) both were No. 1 on one ballot.

KU women fall to 24th

Dayton jumped into the AP women’s basketball Top 25 for the first time in school history, while Connecticut remained an unanimous No. 1 for the 19th consecutive poll. Kansas University nearly fell out, dropping from No. 18 to No. 24 after two losses last week.

OU women lose guard

Norman, Okla. — Oklahoma starting guard Whitney Hand will miss the rest of the basketball season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. Hand’s injury leaves No. 18 Oklahoma (4-2) with only nine players on its roster.

Tennis

Serena fined $82,500

Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her tirade at a U.S. Open line judge and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another “major offense” at any Grand Slam in the next two years.

WNBA

Marion Jones wants to play

San Antonio — Disgraced track star Marion Jones is training for a comeback — in the WNBA. San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes confirmed Monday night that Jones has been training with his assistants possibly to play in the WNBA, more than a year after the 34-year-old was released from federal prison for lying about her doping use.