The Bengals are in the market for a new head coach after Marvin Lewis was let go Monday morning.

While multiple reporters said this was Mike Brown’s decision to let Lewis go, the Bengals’ press released called it a mutual parting of ways.

“The team is very appreciative of all that Marvin has accomplished over the past 16 years,” said Brown in a press release. “Personally, I am very fond of Marvin and will miss working with him. He is a friend and a colleague, and I thank him for what he has meant to this franchise. But it is time to turn the page and look toward the next chapter for our organization, and we are excited about what the future holds for the team and our fans.”

As for Lewis, he was very appreciative of his time in the Queen City, though he regrets not being able to bring this city a Super Bowl.

“I want to thank the Bengals’ organization, the fans and the city of Cincinnati for their support,” Lewis said in a press release. “I regret I haven’t been able to provide them with the No. 1 goal of being world champions. I also want to thank our players, coaches and team employees for their effort and professionalism over the past 16 years. A lot of fine people have gone through this building in that time, and the organization is better for all of them having been a part of it.”

The Bengals also gave an update on the coaching search about to begin, and it sounds like it could go past this week.

“The team will begin the search for a new head coach immediately,” the team said in a statement. “It expects to review many candidates and anticipates that the process will last several weeks.”

That’s actually great news, as it means the Bengals won’t go straight to hiring Hue Jackson as their next coach. There has been rampant speculation that the Bengals could hire Jackson whenever Lewis left, but for now, it appears they’ll conduct a thorough coaching search and interview several candidates.

That doesn’t mean the Bengals’ won’t ultimately hire Jackson, but his chances of getting the job did just take a big hit since Cincinnati will now interview more qualified candidates.

Be sure to read Matt’s piece on some of the top coaching candidates that Cincinnati should consider.