Tuesday, November 23, 1999Alexander interviews for college job
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerBengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander has been interviewed for the head coaching job at Eastern Michigan, but the NFL club is hoping he stays.
An NFL source said Monday Alexander met with school officials last week in Cincinnati but hasn't been offered the post and doesn't know if he would accept. Alexander had no comment Monday night.
Alexander, 39, still has a year left on his contract. Bengals head coach Bruce Coslet brought him to Cincinnati as the tight ends coach in 1994 after they were let go by the Jets.
“Our policy has always been if one of our assistant coaches, even if he's under contract, wants to leave for a head coaching job in college, that we won't stand in his way,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “We think a lot of Paul. He's an excellent coach. We want him to stay here, but it's his call.”
Brown wouldn't comment on the status of Coslet, also with a year left on his deal after this season.
Alexander is familiar with the Mid-American Conference, where he was the line coach for Central Michigan from 1987-91 after spending two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Michigan.
COSTELLO EXPECTED: Former Bengals punter Brad Costello is expected in town today to work out for the club, but the Bengals aren't closing the door on Will Brice just yet. Brice, under intense heat after getting two punts blocked and two deflected, had his best game of the season Sunday with five punts for nearly a 50-yard average and one inside the 20-yard line.
“He has that in him. He's like a lot of these guys. Some take longer than others,” Brown said. “You have to say based on his last game, he's an NFL quality kicker. He's a little shorter in his stride, and he's a little more confident.”
Costello reached an injury settlement with the Bengals right before the season started after he tore his quadriceps, an injury that put a crimp in their special teams plans because he was also the holder and kickoff man.
He said last week he was healthy and had been keeping up on workouts at the University of Cincinnati with former Bengals kicker Jim Breech.
Brown said the Bengals have some options. They could keep one and let the other go, or they could put one of them on the practice squad and one on the active roster, or put both on the active roster: “We've had three specialists before, why not three kickers if one of them can kick off for you?”
THIS AND THAT: Coslet said left tackle Rod Jones blocked Ravens sackmaster Michael McCrary “as good or better,” than Jacksonville Pro Bowler Tony Boselli. ... Right tackle Willie Anderson's strained arch that stopped his streak of 52 straight games Sunday was better Monday and he's probable. ... Linebacker Reinard Wilson (hamstring) is questionable as is guard Brian DeMarco (elbows). ... Cornerback Roosevelt Blackmon (ankle) is doubtful.
• Quarterback Jeff Blake supported Coslet giving his 1-10 Bengals the day off Monday after the last-second loss: “A game like that takes a lot of out of you mentally more than physically. You just need to get away from it for a second.”
BENGAL HELP: A group of Bengals plans to serve the homeless and hungry lunch today at the St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Work House and Soup Kitchen, 1437 Walnut St.
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