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Vic Fangio

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

AFC Coaching Notes: Fangio, Colts, Jaguars

February 24th, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Adam La Rose

At 64, Vic Fangio is closer to the end of his coaching career than the beginning. However, his decision to take the Dolphins‘ defensive coordinator position should not be considered a short-term commitment.

“I still have a lot of coaching left in me,” Fangio said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “It’s not like I’m thinking about retirement or anything. Somebody asked, ‘How much longer are you gonna do this?’ I don’t know. It might be 10 years, if they’ll have me here for 10 years.”

After a delay between when his Miami deal was first reported and when he officially accepted it, Fangio reportedly became the league’s highest-paid coordinator. Expectations will be raised in Miami, with the former Broncos head coach and celebrated defensive mind taking charge of a unit which struggled in 2022. Fangio’s new defense has number of intriguing players on it with plenty of upside. Regardless of their performance, Fangio, who signed a three-year contract, is eyeing a lengthy stay in the Sunshine State.

Here are some other coaching updates from the AFC:

  • The Colts have seen plenty of turnover on their staff, one now led by Shane Steichen. The latest addition is DeAndre Smith, whom Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets is leaving the Giants’ staff to head to Indianapolis. Smith spent last season as the Giants’ running backs coach and will work in the same capacity with the Colts. The 54-year-old assistant’s tenure in New York last year marked his first NFL coaching gig, following more than two decades spent in the college ranks; Smith will now reunite with Steichen, after the pair worked together at UNLV in 2009.
  • Steichen is not planning to make wholesale changes on offense. One assistant who is expected to stay put: franchise icon Reggie Wayne (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer). Wayne, who played for the Colts for 14 seasons en route to becoming a Hall of Fame finalist, began his coaching career this past season as Indianapolis’ wide receivers coach and will likely remain in that role in 2023.
  • The Jaguars lost Jim Bob Cooter earlier this week when he made the intra-divisional move to the Colts to become Indy’s offensive coordinator. Jacksonville found a replacement in Nick Holz (Twitter link via Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL). The veteran staffer spent 10 seasons as an NFL coach, all with the Raiders; his tenure with the team ended in 2021 after he worked as its assistant wide receivers coach. Holz spent the past season as the OC at UNLV and will now be paired alongside Jaguars OC (and close friend) Press Taylor.
  • After yet another injury-filled season, the Chargers are making a change on the training side. They are moving on from longtime athletic trainer Damon Mitchell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mitchell had spent past six years as the team’s trainer and had been with the organization long before the injury-prone stigma entered the equation, spending the past 24 years in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Eagles Attempting To Keep Jonathan Gannon, Eyed Vic Fangio As Potential Replacement

February 13th, 2023 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the Eagles’ narrow loss in Super Bowl LVII, Jonathan Gannon stayed in Arizona for his Cardinals interview. The second-year defensive coordinator has gained steam for the Arizona HC gig to the point he looks to be the favorite.

Gannon has been on the Cardinals’ radar for a bit, and the Eagles are at least making a pitch to keep him. The NFC champions have attempted to convince Gannon to stay on as their DC, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Gannon was a Texans finalist last year, but the Cardinals have been the only team to seriously consider him this year.

Although the Cardinals’ search appeared to have dwindled to Lou Anarumo and Mike Kafka entering Super Bowl LVII, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds rumblings persisted about their interest in interviewing Gannon and Eagles OC Shane Steichen for a while. Gannon and new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort, per Vacchiano, have been friends for a bit, despite never working together. Steichen is on track to become the next Colts head coach.

The Eagles had used Vic Fangio as a defensive consultant throughout the season, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane (on Twitter), and the accomplished defensive coach had planned to stay on through Super Bowl LVII all along. This arrangement kept his Dolphins gig from becoming official for a bit. Signed to a three-year deal worth more than $4.5MM per season, Fangio is now believed to be the NFL’s highest-paid defensive coordinator. He would have likely been the top option to replace Gannon, Breer adds, but several teams showed interest before the Philly DC vacancy became likely. The 49ers also appeared to have Fangio as their top option, but the Dolphins’ offer won out.

Should Gannon end up being the Cardinals’ next HC, Vacchiano notes Eagles passing-game coordinator Dennard Wilson would make for a natural replacement candidate. Wilson, 40, has been an NFL DBs coach since 2015, serving in that capacity with the Rams, Jets and Eagles. He interviewed for the Browns’ DC job earlier this year, seeing it go to ex-Eagles DC Jim Schwartz.

Steichen and Gannon both leaving would make the Eagles the first team to see both their coordinators land HC jobs since the 2013 Bengals, who lost Jay Gruden and Mike Zimmer. The Cardinals have been at this HC search for a while, and their job might end up being the last one filled. The team saw Brian Flores — a reported finalist — bow out of the race, and higher-profile target Sean Payton chose the Broncos. Dan Quinn also withdrew from multiple searches, while DeMeco Ryans cancelled his Cardinals and Colts interviews. Frank Reich landed in Carolina. It is not known how far Reich was going to advance in Arizona’s search, but this process has dragged into a sixth week now.

Coaching Notes: Fangio, Kocurek, Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Gray, Lions, Bills, Bears

February 2nd, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers showed interest in Vic Fangio, joining almost every other DC-seeking team. But Fangio’s former team did not have the chance to bring him back in for an interview; Fangio finally committed to the Dolphins on Thursday morning. The 49ers were interested in a Fangio reunion, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes, and 9News’ Mike Klis adds Fangio was also intrigued by coming back to San Francisco. The 49ers’ usage of a 4-3 scheme throughout Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure would not have been a major issue regarding a reunion with the 3-4 guru, Branch adds. That would make sense, as the 4-3/3-4 divide is not nearly as big an issue — thanks to sub-packages’ rise — as it was several years ago.

San Francisco remains on the hunt for a DeMeco Ryans replacement, placing Steve Wilks and Chris Harris (not the cornerback) on its interview list. The 49ers also are considering promoting defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The well-regarded staffer has been Nick Bosa‘s position coach throughout the All-Pro’s career and has fostered development from others as well. Ryans, meanwhile, is interested in bringing Kocurek to Houston as his DC.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Some recently dismissed assistants may be on the Broncos‘ radar. Ex-Sean Payton staffers Joe Lombardi, Kris Richard and Dan Roushar are in the mix for Broncos gigs under their new coach, Klis notes. Lombardi worked on Payton’s Saints staff for 11 years, the final five as QBs coach, but lost his Chargers OC gig recently. The Saints parted ways with both Richard and Roushar recently. The ex-Seahawks DC was in New Orleans for just one season (2021) under Payton, while Roushar had been on the Saints’ staff for the past 10 years. Richard may be in the running for Denver’s DC post, though Klis adds the Ejiro Evero-Payton talks began Wednesday night. The parties continued discussions today. Evero, who is under contract, staying on staff and leaving for a head coaching job in 2024 would net the Broncos two third-round picks.
  • The Falcons brought in former DC Jerry Gray as an assistant head coach. Gray, 60, spent the past two years as the Packers’ secondary coach but worked with Arthur Smith in Tennessee. Smith and Gray were both Titans staffers in the early 2010s, when the latter was Tennessee’s DC. The Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen as their defensive boss last week, but Gray will be a key assistant. Green Bay let Gray’s contract expire, with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noting (via Twitter) Gray and DC Joe Barry were not on the same page.
  • Once again, the Dolphins will look for a new offensive line coach. Miami fired Matt Applebaum after one season, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes (Twitter link). Mike McDaniel‘s next hire will be the Dolphins’ eighth O-line coach in nine seasons. Applebaum, 39, joined McDaniel’s staff in 2022 after spending his previous coaching years in the college ranks.
  • The Lions added two fairly recent NFLers to their staff. They brought in Dre’ Bly and Steve Heiden to coach cornerbacks and tight ends, respectively. Bly, who played for the Lions from 2003-06 and made two Pro Bowls with the team, has not coached in the NFL previously. He spent the past four seasons coaching cornerbacks at North Carolina, his alma mater. Heiden will come over from the Cardinals, who employed the ex-NFL tight end as their tight ends coach throughout Kliff Kingsbury‘s tenure. The ex-Cardinal had been on Arizona’s staff for 10 years.
  • Acting quickly after making a change late last week, the Bills filled their safety coach role by hiring Joe Danna. Working under Lovie Smith with the Texans this season, Danna was in Jacksonville under Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer for the previous five yeras.
  • After the Falcons hired Nielsen, they fired Jon Hoke. But the veteran position coach will land in Chicago. The Bears hired Hoke as their cornerbacks coach and passing-game coordinator. This is a reunion for Hoke, who coached Bears DBs for six seasons (2009-14) previously. The team also promoted Omar Young from the quality control level to assistant QBs and wide receivers coach. Young is a 14-year coaching veteran who spent time with OC Luke Getsy in Green Bay.

Vic Fangio To Accept Dolphins’ DC Offer

February 2nd, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Sam Robinson

Making a point to indicate he was still on the market, Vic Fangio will indeed take the Dolphins up on their recent offer. The former Broncos HC has decided to join Mike McDaniel in Miami, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Fangio interviewed with the Falcons and Panthers and was linked to being a possible DeMeco Ryans replacement in San Francisco, where he had a strong DC run in the early 2010s. But the Dolphins plan to make him the league’s highest-paid DC. Fangio will join the team after Super Bowl LVII, Schefter notes.

As far as money goes, the Dolphins lured him to Florida by offering him a three-year contract that averages north of $4.5MM annually, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Although head coach salaries are skyrocketing, this is in the ballpark of some HC contracts. Fangio went 19-30 with the Broncos from 2019-21, but a host of teams recognized his defensive acumen, creating a bidding war the Dolphins won.

The past few weeks have revealed the NFL’s view of Fangio, whose defensive influence has been felt around the league in recent years. Although he flamed out after three seasons as Denver’s HC, the 64-year-old coach had a host of options. The 49ers circled back to Fangio — their DC from 2011-14 — but the recently reported Dolphins pledge will win out. Fangio will replace Josh Boyer in Miami and will reunite with Bradley Chubb, whom he coached in Denver for three seasons. The delay between the reported Dolphins hire and Thursday’s report stemmed from Fangio feeling a bit rushed, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. He suddenly became one of the league’s most coveted commodities.

The Panthers sought Fangio before and after Frank Reich‘s hire, and the Falcons interviewed him more than two weeks ago. Atlanta ended up hiring New Orleans co-DC Ryan Nielsen, while Carolina remains on the hunt for its defensive leader. Miami, meanwhile, will represent Fangio’s sixth DC gig. Fangio will bring nearly 40 years’ experience of coaching at the professional level, having broken in with the original USFL back in 1984. He has been a DC for the Panthers, Colts, Texans, 49ers and Bears, with the Broncos HC post obviously including defensive leadership as well.

McDaniel viewed Fangio as a strong option last year, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com tweets, but Dolphins brass wanted him to retain Boyer after a strong 2021 season defensively. Brian Flores played a significant role in the team’s defensive success in 2021, however. While McDaniel is not believed to have viewed Boyer as a lame duck, the young HC has managed to secure a partnership with one of this era’s best defensive coaches.

Fangio held DC jobs for two expansion teams — the Panthers and Texans — from 1995-2005 and the former venturing to the NFC championship game in its second year of existence centered around a veteran-laden defense that allowed just 13.6 points per game. After not experiencing the same level of success in Indianapolis or Houston, Fangio rebuilt his stock in San Francisco. The 49ers morphed into a dominant defense in Fangio’s first season, and they held top-three defensive rankings in each of his first three years with the team. Fangio earned Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2018 in Chicago, when the Bears ranked first defensively, vaulting him into position to land the Denver job.

The Dolphins should be expected to utilize a 3-4 scheme under Fangio, who will take over a unit housing Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Emmanuel Ogbah. Denver deployed two top-10 defenses under Fangio, despite Chubb and Von Miller being unable to stay on the field together for nearly his entire tenure. Fangio was tied to Sean Payton in December, but a return to Denver so soon after being fired seemed unrealistic.

49ers Eyeing Chris Harris For DC Interview

January 31st, 2023 at 7:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Chris Harris was reportedly heading from Washington to Tennessee, but there could be a change of plans. According to Josina Anderson (via Twitter), the 49ers are hoping to interview Harris for their defensive coordinator vacancy. They have moved forward with an interview request, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

[RELATED: Texans Hire DeMeco Ryans As HC]

After most recently serving as Washington’s defensive backs coach, we heard earlier this month that Harris was set to join the Titans as their their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. No deal was finalized, leaving the door open for Harris renege on the agreement. A promotion to defensive coordinator would obviously be an opportunity the 40-year-old couldn’t refuse, but there’s still a good chance he lands in Tennessee if things don’t work out with San Francisco.

Harris has spent the past three years with Washington, helping develop a number of defensive backs behind veterans Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain. Washington’s defense only allowed 3,252 passing yards this past season, good for fourth in the NFL. They also allowed opposing QBs to complete only 59.9 percent of their passes, the second-best mark in the NFL. As a result, Harris became a hot name on the coaching circuit, with the Bears also making a run at him.

The 49ers are officially in the market for a new defensive coordinator after DeMeco Ryans agreed to become the new Texans head coach. We heard earlier today that the 49ers requested an interview with former Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks, and Anderson confirms that the organization is set to speak with the coach. Anderson also notes that Vic Fangio is also in contention for the gig; Fangio was reportedly heading to the Dolphins to become their defensive coordinator, but that move has yet to become official.

Latest On Vic Fangio

January 30th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins appeared to make a significant addition to their coaching staff yesterday, coming to terms on a deal with Vic Fangio to make him their new defensive coordinator. Contrary to what some have since reported, though, the move does not appear to be official at this point.

When speaking to Fangio himself, both 9News’ Mike Klis and Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle were told that a deal is not, in fact, in place yet (Twitter links). In the latter’s case, Fangio stated that “nothing has been decided on my end,” a reference to his commitment to head to Miami. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that his Dolphins contract is three years in length (with a team option for a fourth year) and will make him the league’s highest-paid coordinator.

Fangio, 64, was always likely to be a hot commodity on the DC market when he made it clear he would return to coaching in 2023. The former Broncos head coach had previously stated his intention of taking on a coordinator position, rather than another HC opportunity. Over the course of his decorated career, he established himself as a one of the game’s top defensive minds in terms of scheme and play-calling, as well as one with connections all over the league.

The Panthers were tapped as a likely destination for Fangio in the wake of their Frank Reich hiring. It was reported early today, to no surprise, that Carolina was willing to meet his financial demands, though even in the uncertainty regarding his future they are no longer expected to pursue him. That could make another notable DC vacancy one to keep an eye on in this situation.

Silver notes the “huge amount” of respect shared between 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Fangio. The latter served as San Francisco’s DC from 2011-14, and it was reported in the fall that a return to the Bay Area could be in the cards. The 49ers have enjoyed elite play on the defensive side of the ball under current coordinator DeMeco Ryans, but he has been one of the top HC candidates this offseason and is widely expected to soon become the Texans’ new bench boss. His departure could open the door for Fangio to replace him, should the Miami agreement fall through.

On that point, Pelissero’s colleague Cameron Wolfe tweets that Fangio had been a target of Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel before he even began his tenure with the team this past season. That underscores the desire the Dolphins have long had to bring him onboard, though it remains to be seen if they have officially done so this offseason.

Latest On Panthers’ DC Search

January 30th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Today marks the first official day at work for new Panthers head coach Frank Reich, the first domino to fall in the 2023 HC cycle. Much remains to be seen with respect to his staff, including coordinators on both sides of the ball.

On defense, it became clear that Reich’s preference for his new DC was Vic Fangio. The 64-year-old agreed to terms yesterday on a deal with the Dolphins which will see him become the league’s highest-paid coordinator, however, leaving Carolina to look elsewhere to fill the position. A pair of finalists remain in the running.

Those two are Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Those two are the only candidates other than Fangio to have interviewed for the position, so it comes as little surprise that they remain in the running. Joe Person of The Athletic notes that Carolina has “moved on” to Richard and Manuel as it pertains to the DC opening, with the latter seeming to be in the lead (subscription required).

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports also reports (via Twitter) that Manuel remains the subject of considerable interest from Carolina. The 43-year-old has two years of DC experience, dating back to his time with the Falcons in 2017 and 2018. That post came between tenures in Seattle and Philadelphia prior to his current one in New York. Neither he nor Richard, who has multiple stints as a defensive coordinator on his resume, have experience working with Reich, though they have ties to general manager Scott Fitterer dating back to their shared time with the Seahawks.

Anderson adds that the Panthers could have competition in the form of the Texans for Manuel’s services. Houston is thought to be a potential destination for him in the (expected) event that 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans is hired as the team’s new head coach. Especially if that were to happen, attention could shift once more towards a staffer who does have experience working alongside Reich.

Person names Colts DC Gus Bradley as someone who has been “mentioned” as a candidate to follow Reich to Carolina. As he notes, however, an interview request as not yet been submitted. Anderson tweets that Reich brought up the possibility of hiring the 56-year-old, something ownership was not in favor of. It was then that Fangio was pursued, to the point where the Panthers were willing to give him the league’s largest coordinator contract (Twitter link).

With Reich expected to call plays on offense, the team’s ultimate choice at the DC spot will go a long way in determining their success on that side of the ball. Steve Wilks, who guided Carolina to an impressive run at the end of the season filling in for Matt Rhule, remains on staff for now, but he is likely to head elsewhere with new faces coming in on the Panthers’ sidelines.

Dolphins To Hire Vic Fangio As DC

January 29th, 2023 at 1:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

The most coveted defensive mind during this year’s coaching cycle is headed to Miami. The Dolphins are set to hire Vic Fangio as their new defensive coordinator, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link).

Pelissero notes that it is a three-year deal, with a team option in place for a fourth season. Fangio will become the league’s highest-paid coordinator, which comes as little surprise given how highly-regarded he is around the NFL for his work as a premier defensive play-caller. The 64-year-old will now take over for Josh Boyer, who was fired at the end of a disappointing season for the Dolphins’ defense.

Fangio’s last foray onto an NFL sideline came during his three-year tenure as the Broncos’ head coach. That time resulted in a 19-30 record, and the expectation that his first HC opportunity would be his last. Having spent the past season out of coaching, it was widely expected that he would return in a DC capacity. That was reflected by the interest shown by the Falcons, Panthers and Dolphins in interviewing him to fill their respective vacancies. Carolina was thought to be his likeliest destination as a high-profile partner for new coach Frank Reich, but the Panthers will now have to look elsewhere.

In Miami, Fangio will join head coach Mike McDaniel, who had a strong rookie campaign as a bench boss on the offensive side of the ball in particular. His work with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (when healthy) helped the latter take significant strides, but the team’s defense put up underwhelming numbers in most defensive categories. The Dolphins ranked 24th in the league in points allowed (23.5), especially struggling in the secondary. Improvement in that department should be expected given Fangio’s track record at the coordinator level.

Fangio’s time as an NFL staffer dates back to 1986, and includes DC postings with the Panthers, Colts, Texans, 49ers and Bears prior to his head coaching stint with the Broncos. After a year off, and fielding numerous offers to resume his acclaimed work, the veteran coach is now slated to join an ascending team which, in spite of its late-season struggles, still managed to qualify for the postseason in 2022. A repeat of that feat will likely be expected next year if they can remain productive on offense while taking a step forward defensively under Fangio’s guidance.

Here is a final look at Miami’s DC search:

  • Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/27
  • Sean Desai, defensive assistant (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/25
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Hired
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed 1/26

Frank Reich Targeting Vic Fangio For Panthers’ DC Role

January 27th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons interviewed Vic Fangio for their defensive coordinator job but went in another direction. The Panthers look to be planning a stronger push to bring in the acclaimed defensive mind.

Frank Reich is targeting Fangio to be his DC in Carolina, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). While Fangio has also met with the Dolphins and may have a 49ers return in his back pocket, Anderson adds momentum is building toward a Fangio-Reich partnership. Fangio, 64, interviewed with the Panthers last week.

This would be a reunion for Fangio, who was the Panthers’ first DC back in 1995. Reich was on that roster, serving as the team’s starting quarterback for its first three games before moving into a backup role behind then-rookie Kerry Collins. Fangio stuck around in Carolina longer than Reich the first time around, lasting in that DC position through the 1998 season.

Reich and Fangio have otherwise not overlapped, and given the interest in the veteran coordinator, Anderson adds it could take making him the league’s highest-paid DC to finalize this reunion. After the Broncos fired Fangio last January, he has re-emerged as one of the most sought-after coordinator candidates. It will be interesting to see if the well-traveled defensive boss will accept a Carolina offer or wait for one of the other DC jobs — potentially San Francisco’s or with one of the teams still searching for a head coach — to open up.

Prior to coming to Denver, Fangio earned Assistant Coach of the Year acclaim for his work with the 2018 Bears. Chicago led the NFL in scoring defense that season — a 12-4 campaign that earned Matt Nagy Coach of the Year acclaim — and Fangio churned out productive Denver defenses despite repeated issues keeping Von Miller and Bradley Chubb healthy at the same time. Fangio also played a significant role in the 49ers’ back-to-back-to-back NFC championship game appearances in the early 2010s. Fangio has coached in the NFL since 1986 and has been a coordinator for five teams.

While Reich and Fangio would present quite the experienced play-calling tandem, the Panthers also have Marquand Manuel on their radar. The Jets assistant interviewed for the position, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes (on Twitter) the former Falcons DC impressed Panthers brass during the meeting. The Jets’ safeties coach for the past two seasons, Manuel was the Falcons’ DC from 2017-18. The former safety who spent the 2007 season with the Panthers interviewed with the team before Reich’s hire, like Fangio, but he was in Seattle during part of GM Scott Fitterer‘s tenure in the Seahawks’ front office.

Reich’s vision for his staff helped sway the Panthers to hire him, Joe Person of The Athletic adds (subscription required), so how Carolina’s assistant cadre comes together will be interesting to observe. Fangio is one of the biggest names on the market, and considering the options he probably has, it would be quite the get for Reich to start his second-chance HC opportunity.

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