http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/07/04/80th-birthday-looming-dick-lebeau-still-sees-himself-as-a-bengal-and-brown-guy/

It is just a short read, but LeBeau has to fall in to the same category as Bill Walsh as "one that got away". His defenses with Walsh's offenses? Don't get me wrong, he was awful as a head coach and I loved Sam Wyche, but this is an interesting statement from LeBeau, who at 80 years young is probably one of the only guys that looks like he could out-drive my 84 year old father.

(07-05-2017, 08:39 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/07/04/80th-birthday-looming-dick-lebeau-still-sees-himself-as-a-bengal-and-brown-guy/

It is just a short read, but LeBeau has to fall in to the same category as Bill Walsh as "one that got away".  His defenses with Walsh's offenses?  Don't get me wrong, he was awful as a head coach and I loved Sam Wyche, but this is an interesting statement from LeBeau, who at 80 years young is probably one of the only guys that looks like he could out-drive my 84 year old father.

I don't think Vince Lombardi or Paul Brown could have won with the players LeBeau had when he was head coach here.

(07-05-2017, 03:05 PM)xxlt Wrote: I don't think Vince Lombardi or Paul Brown could have won with the players LeBeau had when he was head coach here.

You could be right.. but we will never know what we do know is he seemed to perform much better as an assistant than a head coach... we can start to list maybe other coaches like that also through the years on various types of teams.

(07-05-2017, 03:05 PM)xxlt Wrote: I don't think Vince Lombardi or Paul Brown could have won with the players LeBeau had when he was head coach here.

LeBeau was the HC during arguable the best draft in Bengals history, 2001.

I have our original, full, story over in the other forum.
LeBeau is an interesting guy. I got the sense he enjoyed playing and assistant coaching/coordinating far more, and did the head coaching thing out of a sense of duty.
If you can think of LeBeau's head coaching tenure in any capacity, it can be considered the breaking point for the Brown family to hire a head coach (Marvin) who was going to pull them into the new century and update things behind the scenes.

I noticed PFT was crapping on LeBeau for saying he's a Bengal or Brown rather than a Steeler. That site is so pro-Steeler it's ridiculous.

(07-05-2017, 09:25 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I noticed PFT was crapping on LeBeau for saying he's a Bengal or Brown rather than a Steeler. That site is so pro-Steeler it's ridiculous.

"Regardless of what happens, he’ll likely still see himself as a Bengal and a Brown, despite those two gaudy Super Bowl rings that celebrate their despised rivals from Pittsburgh."


I suppose that sentence is what you consider "crapping" on him.  I don't see it that way, but I find it wonderful that he still relates and identifies with the Brown family more than the Rooney family.

(07-05-2017, 09:37 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: "Regardless of what happens, he’ll likely still see himself as a Bengal and a Brown, despite those two gaudy Super Bowl rings that celebrate their despised rivals from Pittsburgh."


I suppose that sentence is what you consider "crapping" on him.  I don't see it that way, but I find it wonderful that he still relates and identifies with the Brown family more than the Rooney family.

Na, it was more this bit:

"He’s a Hall of Famer best known for playing for the Lions and coaching with the Steelers. But Dick LeBeau, the soon-to-be 80-year-old assistant head coach of the Titans, identifies with a team that cut him, and with another that fired him, multiple times."


You have to understand Florio's snark. Plus, as a native of Pittsburgh, it was essential that he mention the rings Lebeau won with the Steelers.

(07-05-2017, 04:31 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: LeBeau was the HC during arguable the best draft in Bengals history, 2001.

Good point. He was head coach three years, and they had one good draft. Any coach worth spit would have parlayed that into at least a couple of Super Bowls, and probably a decade of conference domination.

(07-06-2017, 10:27 AM)xxlt Wrote: Good point. He was head coach three years, and they had one good draft. Any coach worth spit would have parlayed that into at least a couple of Super Bowls, and probably a decade of conference domination.

He probably could've done it with a different owner. Unfortunately, LeBeau took over a crappy situation.

(07-06-2017, 04:06 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: He probably could've done it with a different owner. Unfortunately, LeBeau took over a crappy situation.

Yes it was a very tough situation for coaches then but you have to admit Marvin came into the same type of situation and turn the Bengals around without a doubt

(07-06-2017, 04:06 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: He probably could've done it with a different owner. Unfortunately, LeBeau took over a crappy situation.

I love Lebeau, but he was a players coach on a really undisciplined team.   I remember opening up against San Diego at home in early September. 

Got our butts kicked (Lap was talking about how SD had opened up a huge can of Butt Whiip and was smothering us in it).  By the fourth quarter our players were so out of shape their tongues were dragging on the turf.   Lap was appalled how badly conditioned the players were.

Dick is an awesome coach but has to either coach for a strong armed coach, coach a group of true professionals or needs a henchman to discipline his players.

(07-06-2017, 07:02 PM)3wt Wrote: I love Lebeau, but he was a players coach on a really undisciplined team.   I remember opening up against San Diego at home in early September. 

Got our butts kicked (Lap was talking about how SD had opened up a huge can of Butt Whiip and was smothering us in it).  By the fourth quarter our players were so out of shape their tongues were dragging on the turf.   Lap was appalled how badly conditioned the players were.

Dick is an awesome coach but has to either coach for a strong armed coach, coach a group of true professionals or needs a henchman to discipline his players.

I remember that. Lebeau is obviously a legendary coordinator, and truly a classy and nice guy...but he wasn't cut out for being a HC. 

Went to High School with his daughters here in Louisville.

A guy at my work says brandon (his son) is a customer of his and last time he bought a car lebeau comes in with the check, straight cash. Says he is coming in soon, at least his son is, doesnt know if itll go down like that again though.

I am definitely getting a picture with him, after reading this article.

(07-06-2017, 07:02 PM)3wt Wrote: I love Lebeau, but he was a players coach on a really undisciplined team.   I remember opening up against San Diego at home in early September. 

Got our butts kicked (Lap was talking about how SD had opened up a huge can of Butt Whiip and was smothering us in it).  By the fourth quarter our players were so out of shape their tongues were dragging on the turf.   Lap was appalled how badly conditioned the players were.

Dick is an awesome coach but has to either coach for a strong armed coach, coach a group of true professionals or needs a henchman to discipline his players.

Groan...I remember that game.  So much optimism (not really) at week 1, and I remember watching the SD running back (Was it LT?) run through a hole so wide that he literally looked both ways as he ran through.  

To be fair, LeBeau was a schematic wizard and is still viewed that way by many, but agreed that he was not the hammer needed for that team....at least not as HC.  

(07-06-2017, 07:02 PM)3wt Wrote: I love Lebeau, but he was a players coach on a really undisciplined team.   I remember opening up against San Diego at home in early September. 

Got our butts kicked (Lap was talking about how SD had opened up a huge can of Butt Whiip and was smothering us in it).  By the fourth quarter our players were so out of shape their tongues were dragging on the turf.   Lap was appalled how badly conditioned the players were.

Dick is an awesome coach but has to either coach for a strong armed coach, coach a group of true professionals or needs a henchman to discipline his players.

I think that is a good analysis. This is why guys like Kevin Greene so loved Lebeau and flourished under him and he so loved his players who were true professionals.

(07-06-2017, 05:25 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Yes it was a very tough situation for coaches then but you have to admit Marvin came into the same type of situation and turn the Bengals around without a doubt

Yes, Marvin did a lot to change the perception of the team. However, that 2002 season seemed to wake up Mike Brown a little bit. If Mike got his way, then we would've had Tom Coughlin. Katie is the one who had to convince Mike to go with the hottest up and coming coach in the league. He eventually agreed. Obviously Mike is stubborn, but he did budge a little bit after that miserable 2-14 season.

(07-07-2017, 03:56 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: Yes, Marvin did a lot to change the perception of the team. However, that 2002 season seemed to wake up Mike Brown a little bit. If Mike got his way, then we would've had Tom Coughlin. Katie is the one who had to convince Mike to go with the hottest up and coming coach in the league. He eventually agreed. Obviously Mike is stubborn, but he did budge a little bit after that miserable 2-14 season.

We can make assumptions how change happened maybe within the organization.. but bottom line we know that under Marvin  the Bengals went from the worst team in the NFL to a competitive team in the NFL