NEW ORLEANS — On his first full day as Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator, Bruce Coslet already was at work Thursday interviewing prospective offensive line coaches.

        The former Bengals head coach was back home in Naples, Fla., and had just hung up with Cincinnati tight ends coach Frank Verducci.

        Bengals president Mike Brown had given Dallas permission to interview Verducci.

        “I hired Frank as a tight ends coach to train him to become an NFL line coach,” Coslet said. “It was the same thing I did with Paul Alexander and Bob Wylie.”

        Alexander is the Bengals' offensive line coach, and Wylie, who coached tight ends for the Bengals in 1997-98, coaches the Chicago Bears offensive line.

        It had been 16 months since Coslet resigned as Bengals coach. He had just one NFL job interview in that time, with former Washington Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer for the offensive coordinator's job. Schottenheimer, now San Diego's coach, hired Jimmy Raye instead.

        “That was the only interview I did, because I think so much of Marty,” said Coslet, who received a three-year contract in Dallas. “I hadn't pinned too much hope on it. Marty already had Jimmy in mind, because they had worked together for so long in Kansas City.

        “I just decided, "Let's take a year off.'”

        In fact, 2001 was the first year Coslet had been out of the NFL since 1979. He was first an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 1980.

        Coslet resigned Sept.25, 2000, the day after Baltimore's 37-0 victory dropped his Bengals to 0-3. He was 21-39 as Bengals head coach after going 26-39 with the New York Jets.

        He used the time off to polish his golf game, and his handicap dropped to 4-5.

        “I think I could even give LeBeau a game now,” Coslet said of Bengals coach Dick LeBeau, a scratch golfer. “But my game is going to go to hell now. I still can't putt.”

        Coslet's first order of business in Dallas is to round out his staff. The only offensive assistant returning is quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson.

        There had been reports in Dallas this week that Coslet wanted to bring Bengals running backs coach Jim Anderson to the Cowboys.

        “Jim's under contract with the Bengals,” Coslet said. “It would be a lateral move, and I don't think Mike (Brown) would give permission. I'd love to have him, but we'll be talking to other running back coach candidates.”

        Coslet becomes the fourth offensive coordinator in Dallas since the Cowboys defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. Coslet replaces Jack Reilly. Chan Gailey and Ernie Zampese were the previous two coordinators.

        In Coslet's first four seasons as Bengals offensive coordinator, 1986-89, the Bengals ranked first, fifth, first and third in total offense.

        Former San Francisco coach Bill Walsh recommended Coslet to Dallas owner Jerry Jones. Jones went to Naples to interview Coslet, then Coslet went to Dallas for another interview. Cowboys coach Dave Campo approved the hiring.

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