By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tom Coughlin will be the fifth candidate to interview for the Bengals' head-coaching vacancy.

The Bengals contacted representatives for the former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Thursday, when sources also confirmed that Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis flew to Cincinnati on Tuesday to meet with Bengals executives.

Lewis, now believed to be the club's first choice, met with team officials at an undisclosed location away from Paul Brown Stadium.

Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn and her husband, Troy Blackburn, the club's director of business development, apparently are championing Lewis. Team president Mike Brown conducted the interview.

Lewis, an African-American, is the first minority interviewed for one of the Bengals' top three coaching positions in the team's 35-year history.

The Bengals were to have interviewed defensive coordinator Mark Duffner on Thursday, and running backs coach Jim Anderson - also an African-American - was expected to be interviewed as well. Neither Duffner nor Anderson returned phone messages Thursday, and Brown continued to refuse to comment on the coaching search.

Another candidate, believed to be as attractive as Lewis, is Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. Brown and members of his family ownership group will interview Mularkey on Saturday in Pittsburgh, the day before the Steelers play the Cleveland Browns in an AFC wild-card playoff game.

Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher reportedly isn't happy that Mularkey is interviewing this week, but Mularkey told Cowher he wouldn't allow the interview to become a distraction.

The NFL changed its rules two weeks ago about interviewing assistant coaches for jobs while their teams were still involved in the playoffs. Previously, they had to wait until their team was eliminated or until after the Super Bowl.

Lewis was the Steelers' linebackers coach from 1992-95, and Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney apparently recommended Lewis and Mularkey to Brown.

Lewis didn't return two phone messages left Thursday at his Baltimore-area home.

But Wednesday night, he told Sports Illustrated's Don Banks that he had interviewed with the Bengals.

"I think it went well, and depending on what happens, we may meet again," Lewis told Banks. "From my research, things are not as bleak as people think. There's some work that has to be done, but it's obvious they want to win.

"We went through a lot of things, and they let me present my ideas. Looking at it from the outside, some people might say, 'Don't go near that situation,' but that's not how I view it. I think there's a lot of talent there, and it's a good opportunity for somebody."

Lewis, 44, has interviewed for head-coaching positions in the past two years at Buffalo, Carolina and Tampa Bay.

Mularkey, 41, also interviewed with the Buccaneers last year and was considered to be general manager Rich McKay's second choice. Lewis was first, but Tampa Bay owners overruled McKay just hours before Lewis was to be introduced as coach. The Bucs later traded draft picks to the Oakland Raiders for the rights to sign Jon Gruden.

Mularkey was a Tampa Bay assistant under former Bengals coach Sam Wyche in 1994-95.

Lewis ended up signing a three-year, $2.7 million contract to be Steve Spurrier's defensive coordinator in Washington. Lewis last month turned down a five-year, $7.5 million offer to become Michigan State's coach.

Coughlin, fired Monday after eight seasons as the Jaguars' coach, also would be a popular outside candidate.

He could be the second coming of Forrest Gregg, who took over a soft Bengals team that had gone 4-12 in 1978 and 1979 and had them in the Super Bowl at 12-4 after the 1981 season.

Coughlin is a noted disciplinarian, and the Jaguars reportedly still owe him $2.4 million in both 2003 and 2004.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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