Bill Sheridan, the linebackers coach at Michigan State since 1998, will be hired by Notre Dame pending a routine background check for prospective football coaches.

The Michigan State sports information office confirmed Wednesday that Sheridan has officially left that university but would not elaborate on where Sheridan was headed. Sources at Notre Dame indicated that Sheridan is in South Bend and has been in the football office for the past few days.

Sheridan has been offered a position and will be announced as a coach if he passes the mandated tests, including a check of any possible police and criminal records. He is expected to become the safeties coach at Notre Dame. Former safeties coach Lou West left to become Toledo's defensive coordinator.

Notre Dame also has to fill two other coaching positions. In the past few months, wide receivers coach Urban Meyer left to become the head coach at Bowling Green and secondary coach Jerry Rosburg was hired as the special teams coach for the Cleveland Browns.

The Observer learned on Feb. 13 that Joker Phillips, a former Minnesota assistant, would be hired as one of Notre Dame's assistants as well. Like Sheridan, Phillips has been offered a job but must first pass the various background checks. As of Wednesday, no official announcement has been made for either position.

"We haven't filled any of our vacancies yet," said John Heisler, director of Notre Dame sports information. "We haven't officially hired anybody for any of these positions, regardless of what you may be reading."

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