Marvin Lewis on the Vikings signing Mike Zimmer as head coach

Released in a statement Thursday that officially announced Paul Guenther's promotion as the defensive coordinator, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis reacted to the Minnesota Vikings’ signing yesterday of Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as head coach.

"Zim did a tremendous job for us, and it’s fantastic that he is getting this opportunity now to be a head coach," said Lewis. "I've talked many times about what he brought to our defense, and to me as the head coach. He has the players’ trust. He does a great job of identifying who to push, and when.

"He is also exceptionally thorough. Everything in the gameplan is done with a thoroughness, and every player down to the last one is properly prepared. I’m happy for Zim and wish him all my best."

Zimmer was hired in 2008 from a list of candidates that included Donnie Henderson and Tim Lewis, with some speculation that Rex Ryan and Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle could be in the mix.