Boyfriend/bestfriend dilemma

Hi ladies, I need your opinions and help on my current situation. My (now ex) boyfriend and I were friends for about a year before we decided to take the plunge and date. I genuinely have nothing bad to say about him, and while ultimately he broke up with me, I think he honestly did it to save us both later. There are a lot of details leading to the break up, but none of them are anything bad (such as cheating, distrust, abuse, etc.). I'm at a crossroads right now. In the past, I have not been able to remain friends with my exes, however I did not believe these guys were nearly as wonderful people as my most recent ex, even when we were dating. I would like to maintain a friendship in some capacity, but am not sure how to really go about doing that. For more reference, we have been very good friends for a year and dated for two months. Any help would be so appreciated!