JANUARY 27: The Eagles have made the official announcement, marking Fangio as the team’s new defensive coordinator following the departure of Desai. Fangio will be tasked with leading a defensive unit that stumbled down the stretch in what started as a promising 2023 season. He may be forced to do it with some younger faces, as well, as some key veterans (defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham, linebacker Shaquille Leonard) are facing free agency in the offseason.
JANUARY 25: Fangio is headed to Philadelphia today to finalize his defensive coordinator agreement, Schefter reports. As a result, the Eagles have one of their two coordinator vacancies filled after moving on from OC Brian Johnson. Philadelphia’s defense will be a unit to follow closely in the offseason and into the 2024 campaign.
JANUARY 24: A hotly contested Vic Fangio pursuit developed during the 2023 offseason, with an element of controversy comprising part of it. The Dolphins won out, but the parties’ union will be short-lived. The team announced Wednesday that Fangio will not return as DC.
Describing this as a mutual decision, the Dolphins are moving on from a coach whom they agreed to pay more than $4.5MM per season. Fangio had been closely tied to the Eagles’ DC job in 2023, after serving as a consultant for the team. He alluded to the Jonathan Gannon situation helping lead him out of Philly. With Fangio available again, teams will naturally be interested in the experienced defensive coach.
The Eagles are not planning to sit this one out, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter reporting a deal for Fangio to return to Philly is expected. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson also indicates the Eagles expect Fangio to return and be their next DC.
The Dolphins are letting Fangio leave to allow him to be closer to his family, per ESPN. Fangio, 65, is a Pennsylvania native and sits as the top target for the Eagles’ DC job. The Eagles will still need to interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule, but it appears they have a clear preference as they look to replace Sean Desai.
Mike McDaniel will now be on his third DC in three years, moving from Josh Boyer to Fangio after the 2022 season. The Dolphins shelled out a deal that made Fangio the NFL’s highest-paid DC last year. Fangio had wanted to stay with the Eagles, but with the team expecting Gannon to remain in place for a third season, he left for Miami. It does not appear that proved to be a good fit, and the well-traveled coach is on track to step in as a savior of sorts for an Eagles team that completed a chaotic defensive season.
Demoting ex-Fangio lieutenant Desai for Matt Patricia late in the season, the Eagles lost six of their final seven games — including a one-sided wild-card game in Tampa. Patricia is expected to head elsewhere, perhaps rejoining Bill Belichick if the latter lands a head coaching job, but the Eagles will receive the good fortune of Fangio becoming available again. The Eagles have already interviewed Ron Rivera virtually, but it seems fairly clear Fangio is the favorite. Following Gannon’s departure for Arizona — which drew a tampering penalty from the NFL — the Philly defense cratered, finishing 29th in DVOA.
Fangio drew interest from a few places after not taking a job to start the 2022 season. The Falcons and Panthers interviewed the ex-Broncos HC, and the 49ers expressed interest in reuniting with him. Fangio also came up in Denver, as Sean Payton took over, but deemed the timing wrong. The Dolphins’ defense featured some of the same poor injury luck Fangio experienced in Denver, as his playoff unit lacked numerous starters — including edge anchors Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb — after missing Jalen Ramsey for half the season. The Dolphins held their own in the red zone in frigid Kansas City, but Miami’s offense crumbled in a one-sided matchup.
An NFL assistant since helming the Saints’ famed “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps in the 1980s and early ’90s, Fangio has received rave reviews for his work in Chicago and San Francisco. The Bears gig, which featured the team’s 2018 unit leading the league, led to the Broncos hiring him as head coach in 2019. Fangio was in place under Jim Harbaugh, helping the 49ers to three straight NFC title games from 2011-13.
Miami’s 2023 defense ranked 19th in DVOA; multiple names have already surfaced for the newly vacant job. Brandon Staley is expected to be a candidate, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile has generated good reviews around the league, per NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. Campanile is also on the Giants’ DC radar.
Staley, of course, is coming off an in-season firing as Chargers HC. Staley’s Bolts defenses underwhelmed throughout his tenure, but he would make for a natural transition in Miami, having been a Fangio charge in Chicago and Denver. Staley became a promising HC candidate after spending the 2020 season as the Rams’ DC. He has yet to interview for an HC or DC job this offseason. The former Chargers leader shares an agent with McDaniel, Dianna Russini of The Athletic tweets.
Better a year late than never for Philly. Wonder what the Dolphins do to replace him.
Unexciting, but either way the real issue is the defensive talent in Philly.
It’s both and the defensive scheming at the end of the year was atrocious. Clearly they need a new Linebacking corp and defensive backfield. They have 3 picks in the top 57 . CB should be the #1 and Trotters son would be a great pick with the Saints pick.
Man, I wish he’d come back to Chicago. The 3 or so years he was there they went middle of the pack to a top 5-10 unit. Those players swore by him.
The Eagles already interviewed a minority candidate: Rivera. If they want Fangio, and he wants to be here, expect a deal quickly.
If somehow Rivera doesn’t count as a minority candidate that rule is racist as hell.
Unless Rivera counts as two people they still need to interview a second external minority candidate.
In theory, the Rooney Rule helps with fairness in hiring, but in practice, not so much. Who would take the interview just to help the team meet a requirement when you know they want to hire someone else?
Rivera was already interviewed. And he had a legitimate opportunity, with a history within the Philly organization. But Fangio was who they wanted last year, and he apparently wants to go there, so there won’t need to be that “token” interview.
They interviewed Ron Rivera
Doesn’t the Rooney Rule only apply to GM’s & HC’s?
Senior positions as well, such as a coordinator.
It helps with learning the process, exposing interviews and interviewers to each other. I have interviewed many times in my career, knowing would not get position but the people interviewing me learned who I was and I learned more about them. It has helped in career. This process allows conversations and learning. When new opportunities come up they will know who you are, and you learn from why didn’t get position.
Hawktattoo, well I learned that you talked a whole lot without saying anything.
Wow aren’t you a great guy. I just learned what you are.
Guess fckmut does not need to tattoo “I am a tool” since now we know.
Interviews help you learn more about an org culture & the people who work there EVERY SINGLE TIME. I’ve left numerous interviews in my field thinking: “I’d never work there.”
The face-time you get can help for future opportunities, whether they are with the org that interviewed you, 1 of the people you spoke to at that interview (who could be somewhere else in the future) or quite possibly via a reference.
It’s not rocket science.
@Hawktattoo – Agree -it is true for any career. The more experience you have interviewing, the better you prepare for the next one plus gives an inside look at the company you interview with.
If the Eagles land Fangio life will be even tougher for the Giants offense (if that’s even possible).
The Giants nearly beat Philly in the Linc on Xmas Day and easily defeated the Eagles in Week 18. That was during the heart of Philly’s collapse.
I believe the Eagles have interviewed both Rivera and Mike Caldwell. Therefore that’s the two minority interviews needed to satisfy the Rooney rule.
Buyer beware. He could be Dom Capers version 2
Well he would be a long term guy for them. I don’t think he is ever getting another HC chance. Stability is key.
Harbaugh & Fangio together again??? A good old days Stanford reunion in LA.
Good hire. A recent prior relationship, a guy with success who has been around a few different places and experiences and most importantly the interest being mutual says a lot. This should be hitting the ground running. We rightfully gripe about the back 7 but if he wants back in the building thats a real good sign. Also, you have the old hand consulting the young hand without being a threat however.
Big Fangio fan and glad he’s coming back to the eagles. Think our defence is build for his style aswell. He loves to run a 3-4 and cover 4. 3 solid defensive linemen upfront and safeties which drop deeper.
Up front we have Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis two very good young athletes. Think we just need to invest in LB’s and a safety and we should be solid defensively.
Andrew Van Ginkel will follow.
Welcome home Vic! Excited to see what he can do as DC, but they’re going to need some ballers and quite devaluing the LB position.
Eagles made the right move bringing in Fangio. Congrats to Vic.