Vinny Del Negro doesn't need to worry about the endless snow and bitter cold in Chicago. There's enough heat building around him to keep the embattled Bulls coach warm until spring.

The latest log on the firing fire comes from an ESPN report claiming that the Bulls have already decided to jettison Del Negro and are actively seeking out coaches for a mid-season termination. Barring that, the site reports he's definitely gone at season's end.

John Paxson, Gar Forman and Bennie the Bull all declined comment.

A huge turnaround for the underperforming Bulls could change the team's collective mind on Vinny's fate, but when you watch a young team with high expectations continue to struggle with fundamentals, heart, desire, etc., the future is not good from a coaching employment standpoint. Oh, then there's this: