The endgame has yet to be formalized, but the conclusion to Dick LeBeau's tenure as Cincinnati Bengals head coach is a certainty, three league sources confirmed for ESPN.com late Sunday night.

LeBeau, 65, will either retire or be fired on Monday, the sources said.

Signed to only a two-year deal after the 2000 season, a campaign in which he inherited the Bengals when Bruce Coslet abruptly resigned after the first three games, LeBeau's contract is set to expire.

There have been several published reports that owner Mike Brown extended the original contract, but Bengals officials have said that is not true. LeBeau did have the potential, his contract stipulated, to have an option exercised. But the team did not reach predetermined benchmarks sufficient to trigger the option.

Brown is typically loathe to fire coaches and might allow LeBeau the chance to either resign or retire rather than be fired. The team might also announce, simply, that LeBeau's contract will not be renewed.

"How it happens isn't the big thing," said one source, "because it is going to happen. That's a given."

In nearly three full seasons, LeBeau compiled a 12-33 record. The team has won just four of its last 25 games. The season-ending loss Sunday at Buffalo marked the Bengals' 14th defeat of the year, a club record. Cincinnati has not made the playoffs since 1990 and the only reward for this year's ineptitude is the first overall selection in the 2003 draft.

LeBeau declined comment on his status after Sunday's game but is expected to meet Monday with Brown. The owner characteristically approaches the assistant coaches in the final week or two of the season to negotiate contracts with them, but that has not occurred this season.

One of the team's assistants, receivers coach Steve Mooshagian, is going to interview for the head coaching position at Sacramento State.

Despite suggestions the Bengals will dramatically revamp their front office structure, there have been no indications Brown is prepared to hire a general manager or director of football operations. The consensus view is that the Bengals owner will cede more power to his new head coach than he has before.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.