By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SAN DIEGO - Former Bengals coach Dick LeBeau could end up with the Buffalo Bills or Pittsburgh Steelers as a staff consultant.

LeBeau is expected to sit down with Bills coach Gregg Williams and defensive coordinator Jerry Gray after the Super Bowl to talk about joining the staff as a defensive coach or consultant, according to a report published Friday.

The Steelers, however, also are interested in LeBeau, a defensive backs coach and coordinator in Pittsburgh for five seasons.

Various newspaper reports would have LeBeau assisting the defensive coordinator of either the Steelers or Bills and working with defensive backs.

LeBeau, who will turn 66 on Sept. 9, had a 12-33 record as Bengals coach before his Dec. 30 firing.

LeBeau did not return phone messages left at his Montgomery home but is thought to be unsure about his plans for next season.

He was defensive coordinator on two Super Bowl teams - the 1988 Bengals and '95 Steelers.

AKILI'S FUTURE

Bengals backup quarterback Akili Smith, the team's first-round draft choice in 1999, said this week in his hometown of San Diego that changes in the Bengals coaching staff don't change his future with the team.

"I still think they're going to stay with Jon (Kitna)," said Smith, asked for his reaction to the departure of quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson and the hiring of Ken Zampese from the Rams.

"I've heard nothing but great things about Zampese, but I still don't think I'm in their plans," Smith said.

BACK TO WORK

After hiring his coaching staff, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis returned to his Baltimore-area home for the weekend.

He and his staff will report to work beginning Tuesday.

Lewis made his final hire Thursday, signing tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes, an assistant in college at Oklahoma the last four seasons.

Hayes' hiring brought to six the number of African-American assistants on Lewis' 15-member staff.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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