LeBeau, who returned to Pittsburgh as defensive coordinator, declined interview requests with Cincinnati media leading up to the Bengals' game Sunday against the Steelers at Heinz Field.

But LeBeau has some vocal support among the dozen or so players he coached in Cincinnati who remain with the Bengals.

"Coach LeBeau is a good coach, period," linebacker Brian Simmons said. "Why it didn't work out here, I don't know. He's one of my favorite coaches I ever played for. He drafted me. He brought me in the league. He's a guy you could respect. You knew he was going to be straight with you."

Simmons is one of 14 players left on the Bengals' roster from the opener in 2002, a season that started with high hopes but crashed to 2-14, worst in franchise history.

Bengals president Mike Brown fired LeBeau the day after the season-ending loss at Buffalo. LeBeau would end up in Buffalo as assistant head coach in 2003 before being wooed back to Pittsburgh as coach Bill Cowher's defensive coordinator. The Steelers are 2-1, and LeBeau's defense is the league's sixth ranked in yards allowed - ninth against the run, fifth against the pass. The early success in Pittsburgh has helped to heal the hurt LeBeau experienced down the stretch in Cincinnati.

In 2001 - LeBeau's first full season as head coach - the Bengals showed major improvement. Led by the NFL's ninth-ranked defense, they finished 6-10. After a 4-3 start, the goal of a winning season was derailed by the seven-game losing streak. Three of those losses were by a combined eight points.

Then came 2002, and everything LeBeau built unraveled.

He started an ill-prepared Gus Frerotte at quarterback, following a three-way training camp competition that also involved Jon Kitna and Akili Smith.

"Whether it was a perceived thing or a reality, guys in the locker room didn't believe that Dick ultimately controlled their fate on this team, that he had the final say on things," Kitna said.

"Whether that was perception or reality was really not the issue. For guys to think that, there just wasn't that respect from a lot of guys.

"I liked playing for Dick. He cared about every guy on the football team. It hurt him to have to go through what we went through. It's unfortunate for him that he wasn't given the exact opportunity he needed probably to succeed in this league as a head coach."

LeBeau might have created a problem for himself by not cracking down on players. A 14-year player from 1959-72, LeBeau expected his players to maintain a high level of self-discipline.

"He wasn't a baby-sitter, and some guys - especially some younger ones - didn't conduct themselves as professionals," said defensive tackle Tony Williams, who signed as a free agent with the Bengals before the 2001 season. "We fire-zoned the hell out of people."

Now LeBeau is back with Cowher in Pittsburgh, where his zone-blitz scheme blossomed, culminating with a Super Bowl appearance in January 1996.

"Dick just has a great feel for the game," Cowher said. "I worked very well with Dick, had a lot of respect for him when he was here and even when he was down in Cincinnati and the job he did down there.

"I've really enjoyed working with him, and I knew I would when he came back."

LeBeau coached defensive backs and Marvin Lewis coached linebackers on Cowher's first staff. They worked together from 1992-95.

"His disposition," Lewis said when asked what he learned from LeBeau.

"There's going to come another Sunday, another down, and you've got to be ready to play."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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