KAPOLEI, Hawaii - A few feet from a luxury resort on the edge of a breathtaking beach, Bill Cowher is wearing shorts and sunglasses as he runs his players through a series of light drills.

This combination of a relaxing setting and a familiar task is allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers coach to unwind, however slightly. Even his famously chiseled jaw seems a bit less sharp as he finishes mourning another wonderful season that came to another crushing end.

After winning 15 straight games and reaching the playoffs with the NFL's best record, the Steelers lost 41-27 to New England in the AFC championship game. Pittsburgh has lost four conference title games - all at home - in the last 11 seasons, each time leaving Cowher and his staff with the bittersweet reward of coaching the conference's all-stars in Honolulu.

"Four times," he said with a long pause. "If you're going to lose that game, this is a pretty good way to take it."

Every coach enjoys this assignment, but only to a certain extent. Philadelphia's Andy Reid coached the NFC squad in the last three Pro Bowls, his disappointment growing with each championship game loss until the Eagles' breakthrough this season.

"At least I haven't had to do it consecutively, like Andy did," Cowher said with a grimace. "It's really hard at first, but by the time you come over here and get settled in, you're able to put things in perspective a little better. It's still not easy, but once you get into the game-planning and working over here, it's better."

Cowher's Steelers have reached the Super Bowl just once in his 13 seasons, losing to Dallas in 1996. The NFL's longest-tenured coach has been consistently successful and indefatigably enthusiastic about his job, but the losses still bother him in ways he isn't comfortable showing to the public.

His players know all about his emotions, however. Nine Steelers are on the AFC roster after Tuesday's addition of running back Jerome Bettis, and they all admire their coach's dedication and perseverance.

"We were all hurting, but I know he took it hard," said receiver Hines Ward, who's appearing in his fourth Pro Bowl in seven NFL seasons. "(Cowher) is an emotional guy sometimes. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it hurt. But getting over here to Hawaii and getting your toes in the sand, that helps a lot."

Cowher arrived in Honolulu on Sunday night, and he didn't watch a minute of the Super Bowl. Falcons coach Jim Mora, Cowher's NFC counterpart who's been in Hawaii since last week, watched only a few minutes of the fourth quarter when his son insisted.

"I just had a sick feeling in my stomach," Mora said. "But this is a good place to get over it."

Cowher uses the Pro Bowl week as a chance to relax, but also to learn more about the rest of the league. He unfolded a simple game plan in team meetings Monday night, designed to spotlight the AFC's wealth of star offensive players while requiring a minimum of study time.

"One of the best parts is meeting people you've been competing against for years," he said. "It's great to spend time with people you don't know very well. We have Peyton (Manning) and Drew (Brees) on the same team, and they're throwing to a really good group of young receivers this year. We've got a lot of younger guys this time."