Marvin Lewis endorsed long-time colleague Hue Jackson as a head coach in his parting news conference after mutually agreeing to part ways with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

"I think he's more than qualified," Lewis said, according to Herbie Teope of NFL.com. "I think he's been in a couple of difficult situations (in Oakland and Cleveland), and that's tough, and it hasn't broke his way. But I think he's an excellent football coach, he's a great motivator, he's detailed. So I think he deserves an opportunity, if not here, somewhere else."

Jackson was fired by the Cleveland Browns at the end of October following a 3-36-1 run over two-and-a-half seasons as head coach. He went 8-8 at the helm of the Oakland Raiders in 2011.

After working under several different titles in Cincinnati from 2012-15, Jackson rejoined the Bengals in mid-November as a special assistant to the head coach.