BEREA — Browns coach Eric Mangini made a brief statement today about the ousting Monday of first-year general manager George Kokinis, then refused to answer specific questions about the situation.

“For a variety of reasons, it didn’t work out,” Mangini said. “You never go into any situation with the intention of it not working out. That’s true in this case.

“The organization felt the move gave us the best chance to move forward.”

He wouldn’t say who, if anyone, will replace Kokinis. And he wouldn’t say if former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was at Browns headquarters with owner Randy Lerner late Monday night, would assume a larger role. Kosar recently took on a more formal consultant’s role with the team.

“In terms of this topic, there’s nothing else I’m going to add,” Mangini said.

When asked if there were legal reasons for avoiding the questions, he said there are a “variety of reasons.”

ESPN.com reported Lerner pressed Kokinis to resign and he refused. Citing a team source, Lerner is seeking a dismissal “for cause” so he won’t have to pay Kokinis the rest of his contract.

Lerner, who met Tuesday morning with a pair of fans planning a protest, had not been made available to the media as of Tuesday afternoon.

Cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer’s Web site, reported that former Browns and Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi wouldn’t be the next GM despite rumors to the contrary.

“I am not taking any GM job anywhere. Period,” Accorsi told Cleveland.com. “I am not taking any full-time job.”

Accorsi is a family friend and consulted Lerner on the hirings of Mangini and Kokinis.

Read Wednesday’s Chronicle for more on the Browns.

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.