Bills on verge of hiring coach

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

The Buffalo Bills are on the verge of hiring Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as their head coach, which could leave the Steelers and Bills in a tug-of-war over assistant coaches.

Mularkey left Pittsburgh Tuesday for Detroit, where he was to talk with Bills owner Ralph Wilson one more time to get official approval to become Buffalo's head coach. The Bills could hire him today.

While that was going on, Steelers coach Bill Cowher was preparing to offer the job of defensive coordinator to Dick LeBeau, who spent the past season under a one-year contract as Buffalo's assistant head coach. Cowher wants to wait until after he interviews Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache for the job today.

Mularkey wants LeBeau to stay in Buffalo as his defensive coordinator and would like to hire Steelers tight ends coach Ken Whisenhunt or quarterbacks coach Tom Clements as his offensive coordinator.

St. Louis defensive coordinator Lovie Smith has spent more than 20 years in the business.

Pittsburgh offensive line coach Russ Grimm won three Super Bowls in his 11-year NFL career, then spent the past 12 years as a position coach. Angelo is expected to name a head coach soon -- maybe even as early as today -- though there's still a possibility he may consider a third candidate.

Carthon became the fourth candidate to speak face-to-face with owner Al Davis, who is looking for a coach to replace Bill Callahan.

Robinson told coach Dick Vermeil after Sunday's 38-31 defeat that he would resign if Vermeil thought it was in the team's best interests.

Tight ends coach Mike Pope and assistant special teams coach Mike Priefer, who worked with Coughlin during his final season with the Jaguars in 2002, will be back next season.

Running backs coach Jerald Ingram and strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri worked with Coughlin at Boston College and Jacksonville.

The Rams were last in the NFL in punt coverage, allowing 15.1 yards a return, and 30th in kickoff coverage at 23.9.

Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was booked into the Santa Clara County jail at about 3:30 a.m., spokesman Mark Cursi said.

Garcia was pulled over by San Jose State University police near campus, Cursi said. Campus police would not comment.