Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., and Cyrus Mehri released this statement Tuesday night: "Back on September 30th, we released the report, `Black Coaches in the National Football League: Superior Performance, Inferior Opportunities,' because we believed the time had come to create a level playing field for the hiring of black coaches in the NFL.

"Today's decision by the Cincinnati Bengals to hire Marvin Lewis as their head coach opens a new chapter for the NFL as the first hire which fully carries out the new hiring process that the league announced on December 20. We couldn't be happier for Marvin, the Bengals and the Cincinnati community. This is truly a great day for everyone involved.

"We're pleased to see that Mike Brown upheld the new hiring policy and seriously interviewed a diverse candidate slate, including two African-American candidates.

"But today is Marvin Lewis' day. His years of tireless work have resulted in this great opportunity and we all look forward to seeing his talent shine as the new head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Marvin Lewis has overcome adversity and shown enormous strength of character that he will undoubtedly bring to the Cincinnati program.

"The Bengals' organization deserves a great deal of credit, especially Mike Brown. Their diligence in following the new process is an example for other team owners. We believe this decision will be well received in the Cincinnati community.

"We will continue to monitor the NFL and its teams to ensure they act in good faith and we look forward to seeing the NFL embrace the power of diversity among its head coaching ranks and front office personnel."

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