After interviewing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has decided to stay in South Bend, SI.com’s Pete Thamel is reporting.

Kelly began talking with the Eagles about replacing Andy Reid shortly after his Fighting Irish lost the BCS National Championship Game to Alabama on Monday. He earned coach of the year honors for the second time after leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record.

In 22 years as a college head coach, Kelly has compiled a 199-67-2 record with Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame. His resume includes two Division II national championships and two Big East titles.

BREAKING: Brian Kelly is staying at Notre Dame, official source confirms.—
Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) January 12, 2013

CBSSports.com’s Bruce Feldman first reported the news.

Kelly and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbick issued statements following the announcement, via ESPN.com’s Joe Schad and Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde.

Brian Kelly: "This decision was motivated purely by my love for Notre Dame and the entire Fighting Irish community…"—
Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 12, 2013

Kelly, in statement saying he is staying: “We still have a lot of work to do and my staff and I are excited about the challenges ahead.”—
Pat Forde (@YahooForde) January 12, 2013

ND AD Jack Swarbrick: "I was always confident that Brian would continue to lead our football program…"—
Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 12, 2013

In official statement, AD Jack Swarbrick compliments Eagles for reaching out to him. Says BK "kept me fully informed throughout."—
Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) January 12, 2013

Schad is also reporting that the school is working toward an extension and raise for Kelly.

Source says Brian Kelly and Notre Dame working toward extension and raise though "still some work to do."—
Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 12, 2013

The Philadelphia Eagles are seriously interested in Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly for their head coach vacancy, according to sources in a Philly.com report. The Eagles have reached out to Kelly, two NFL sources told Philly.com.

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported via Twitter that the Eagles talked to Kelly after the BCS Championship game Monday night.

Kelly led Notre Dame to an undefeated regular season and No. 1 ranking before losing to Alabama, 42-14, in the BCS title game.

Prior to that game, Kelley referred to Notre Dame as his dream job and that “leaving is not an option,” but he also said:

“For me to say I’ll never coach in the NFL — I have no idea,” Kelly said on Friday. “I’m not trying to be evasive. It’s the truth of the matter. It’s all about timing.”

The Eagles’ list of head coach candidates has been heavy with college coaches, including Oregon’s Chip Kelly and Penn State’s Bill O’Brien, who both elected to remain at their schools. The Eagles reportedly scheduled an interview with Syracuse coach Doug Marrone before he left to become the Buffalo Bills’ head coach. The Eagles have also interviewed recently fired Bears head Lovie Smith and linked to unnamed NFL coordinators.

From @mortreport and me: Eagles met with Notre Dame HC Brian Kelly, who is now out of country. Sides expect to revisit talks.—
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2013

Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o will play while mourning two deaths. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te’o will play against Michigan State on Saturday while mourning the deaths of two people close to him this week.

Te’o's father, Brian, told the Chicago Tribune that Manti Te’o's grandmother died on Tuesday night. His girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, succumbed to leukemia early Wednesday morning.

“He lost some people very close to him, and it’s obviously taken a toll on him,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters after practice Thursday. “Our players have been there for him and have been a great support. We’ll support him. He’ll be with us. He practiced. He’ll be playing Saturday against Michigan State.

“Unfortunately, he’s gone through a very rough 24, 48 hours. But his support and his family at home have been great, and all of the coaches and players have been there for him. He wants to be with his teammates, he wants to be with the people that care about him. He’s a strong man and he’s going through a tough time, but he’ll rise to the occasion.”

Kelly said Te’o, whose Mormon faith was chronicled in a 2010 Tribune feature, may return to his native Hawaii to mourn with family and friends after the Michigan State game.

Notre Dame has given head football coach Brian Kelly a two-year contract extension, through the 2016 season, according to the Associated Press.

Kelly went 8-5 in each of his first two seasons in South Bend, leading the Irish to back-to-back bowl appearances.

“While Coach Kelly and I are focused on the additional work that must be done to reach our goals, I am very pleased with the progress we have made during the past two years,” Swarbrick said in a statement, according to the AP. “Our football team’s performance on the field, in the classroom, and in the community reflect Coach Kelly’s commitment to building a program that will be able to sustain success in the long run, and to doing so in a manner consistent with Notre Dame’s values and tradition.”