Bob Bratkowski was fired Monday from his post as Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, the team announced on its website. Bratkowski has been the team's OC since the 2001 season, guiding several offenses that ranked among the best in the franchise's history. But the Bengals offense has finished in the league's lower third for three straight years, ranking No. 20 in 2010.
Bengals president Mike Brown on the dismissal of Bratkowski:
Bob is an intelligent coach and as fine an individual as you will find in the profession. Though the time is right for us to make a change, I thank him for his service here and wish him the best.
Bratkowski has been working in coaching since 1978, when he was only 23 years old. He's coached for Seattle and Pittsburgh in addition to several college jobs.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis on losing Bratkowski, who was around even before Lewis took over in 2003:
I want to thank Bob for his role in helping us win two division championships, but after reviewing our season in depth, we've decided it's best for the team to make this change at this time.
For more on the Bengals, visit Cincy Jungle.