By Alan Robinson
The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Dick LeBeau will talk to coach Bill Cowher on Tuesday about returning as Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator.

Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache will interview for the job on Wednesday, and former Jets defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell is to meet with Cowher on Thursday.

The interviews come during a busy week in which numerous NFL teams are looking to fill job vacancies. The Steelers want to have a coordinator in place by next week, when their coaches will attend the Senior Bowl.

Before traveling to Pittsburgh, Blache will talk Tuesday to the Bears about becoming their head coach - the same job Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm interviewed for Monday. Cottrell already has an offer to become the Vikings' defensive coordinator, and he interviewed Monday for the same job in San Diego.

The Steelers could be seeking two coordinators if offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is chosen as the Bills' next head coach. Mularkey interviewed last week in Buffalo and was awaiting word Monday whether he would be hired.

Should Mularkey be hired by Buffalo, Grimm could succeed him as the Steelers' offensive coordinator - but only if Grimm doesn't get the Bears' job.

Defensive backs coach Willy Robinson is also expected to talk to Cowher about replacing Tim Lewis, who was hired as the Giants' defensive coordinator by new coach Tom Coughlin only three days after being fired in Pittsburgh.

LeBeau was a Steelers assistant from 1992-96, coaching the defensive backs before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1995. Relying heavily on the zone blitzes designed by LeBeau, the Steelers ranked second and third in the league during his two seasons as coordinator of the "Blitzburgh" defense.

LeBeau left before the 1997 season to return to Cincinnati as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, and was the Bengals' head coach for most of three seasons from 2000-02 before being replaced by Marvin Lewis. He was the Bills' assistant head coach last season under Gregg Williams, but Williams was let go following a 6-10 season.

The Steelers talked to LeBeau about returning to their staff last year as a defensive assistant, but he chose to join the Bills instead.

Blache has a year left on his contract with the Bears, though Chicago's new head coach - if it's not Blache - likely would want to choose his own coordinators.

Cottrell was fired by the Jets, but was offered a two-year contract by Vikings coach Mike Tice last week.

Cottrell is the only minority candidate among those scheduled to interview in Pittsburgh. Two of the Steelers' four minority assistant coaches, Lewis and wide receivers coach Kenny Jackson, were fired last week.

QUICK KICKS: Redskins receiver Laveranues Coles was added to the 2004 NFC Pro Bowl squad, replacing injured Randy Moss.

Minnesota's Moss will miss the game because of a heel injury.

• University of Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was hired as tight ends coach of the Browns, who also promoted tight ends coach Steve Hagen to quarterbacks coach.

• The Jaguars fired special teams coaches Bill Bates and Paul McCord and receivers coach Larry Kirksey.

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