By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Former Bengals coach Dick LeBeau is believed to have left Pittsburgh on Tuesday night with an offer to become Steelers defensive coordinator for a second time.

LeBeau, 66, the former Bengals coach and defensive coordinator, met twice Tuesday with Steelers coach Bill Cowher. LeBeau was Cowher's defensive coordinator in 1995 and '96. The Steelers lost to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season.

LeBeau was defensive backs coach in Pittsburgh from 1992-94 as a member of Cowher's first staff.

LeBeau worked last season as assistant head coach in Buffalo. He assisted Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. The Bills ended up with the No. 2 overall defensive ranking and were fifth in points allowed.

"I coordinated last year, but not completely. I think this would be a better situation," LeBeau told reporters at Steelers headquarters Tuesday. "I didn't call the game. I had input but didn't really call the game. That's the part of the game that I missed."

LeBeau would replace Tim Lewis, fired as Steelers coordinator last week by Cowher. Cowher is expected to meet today with Greg Blache, still under contract as Bears defensive coordinator.

"It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to go back and give it another shot," LeBeau said.

LeBeau, who maintains a home in Greater Cincinnati, left the Steelers after the 1996 season to return to the Bengals to become coordinator under head coach Bruce Coslet.

LeBeau said he left the Steelers because he wanted to be in Cincinnati for his son Brandon's senior year in high school.

"That was the prime mover in me going back," Dick LeBeau said.

He replaced Coslet three games into the 2000 season when Coslet resigned. LeBeau had a 12-33 record with the Bengals before his firing Dec. 30, 2003. In all, LeBeau spent 18 years with the Bengals.

Cowher expressed interest in talking to LeBeau for a staff position last year.

"The time frame didn't work out," LeBeau said. "I wanted to make sure if I continued to work, I could enter into the enterprise with the effort and dedication that whomever I worked for got a bargain. I wanted to make sure I felt that well. It just didn't mesh with Bill's schedule."

LeBeau might stay in Buffalo, where Gregg Williams was fired as head coach. Dick Jauron, the former Bears coach and a close friend of LeBeau's, is a candidate to replace Williams.

"Nobody can do anything until they name a head coach," LeBeau said of Buffalo.

Besides Jauron, the Bills' list of top candidates includes Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. Like Jauron and Cowher, Mularkey is believed to want to hire LeBeau as defensive coordinator.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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