Tigers lifted the Guinness Premiership trophy after securing their sixth title in 11 years with a 10-9 victory over London Irish in the final at Twickenham on Saturday.
Cockerill, collecting his first silverware as Tigers head coach just over a month after being officially appointed, said: “The attitude of the players to their work has been fantastic, they should take the credit, they are the ones that have to go out there and do it.
“All of the staff have played an important part too, everybody has worked so hard.
“We did not produce our best rugby in the final, but we got the result and, over the balance of the season, I think we deserve to be champions.
“I am really pleased with the win because the pressure was on.
“You could say we have won it once by finishing top of the league and now we have won it here in the final. We are champions of England and I am absolutely delighted.”
Irish went ahead with a first-minute drop goal but Tigers No8 Jordan Crane grabbed the only try of a tight and tense match to draw an end to the Guinness Premiership season.
“We played a bit too much in our own half at times, but we kept playing, kept working and you cannot fault the team for that,” added Cockerill.
“We did not play well but we stuck to our task. We needed to get some ball and we didn’t really get much of it on the front foot. Give credit to Toby Booth and London Irish, they played exceptionally well, they made it hard for us.
“But you cannot take away the spirit of the Leicester players and the way they stuck together.”
Tigers return to training today as champions of England but with another massive occasion still to come with the Heineken Cup Final against Leinster in Edinburgh on Saturday.
“The lads should be able to enjoy it before we move on,” said Cockerill. “Then we will watch the video, have a few words and concentrate on another final.”
