Nick Sirianni Tabs Former Dolphins Coordinator Vic Fangio To Lead Defense

The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 season was a major disappointment. Despite 11 wins and a playoff appearance, the season ended in a blowout loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling short of expectations.

Following the disappointment, the Eagles decided it was time for a change. Since then, they’ve let go of both of their coordinators. Now? They’ve hired Vic Fangio as their new defensive coordinator.

Philadelphia Eagles Hire Vic Fangio To Lead Defense

Fangio spent the 2023 season as the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. However, despite a top-10 defensive ranking according to FOX Sports, the Dolphins and Fangio decided to part ways following the season.

Following the parting of ways, Fangio was quickly linked to the Eagles’ open position. The Eagles had let go of coordinator Sean Desai and were parting ways with Matt Patricia, whose contract was up and was an in-season replacement for Desai. The Eagles officially hired Fangio on Jan. 27.

“Vic’s reputation obviously speaks for itself,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said in a statement. “He’s a brilliant defensive mind who has coached at a very high level in this league for many years.

“In my time spent with Vic, I’ve seen firsthand what makes him such a great coach – tremendous knowledge of the game, passion, and work ethic. I’m excited for our coaches and players to be able to learn from him and see it for themselves.”

Before being hired by the Dolphins, Fangio had been a consultant for the Eagles during their 2022 season’s Super Bowl run. He had accepted his position with the Dolphins before the Eagles defensive coordinator job opened up, with Jonathan Gannon going to the Arizona Cardinals as their head coach.

The Eagles finished the season with the 26th-ranked defense in the NFL, according to FOX Sports. This comes just a year after they led the league in sacks and had a top-five defense. Fangio looks to fix that immediately.

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Fangio is viewed by many in the NFL as one of the best defensive minds in the game. He began his coaching career back in 1979 as the linebackers coach for Dunmore High School, where he played.

Fangio has been in the NFL since 1986 when he joined the New Orleans Saints as a linebackers coach. He has been a defensive coordinator or better for most of his career since 1995, having been the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears.

Fangio was the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2019-2021, being fired following the 2021 season. He took a year off from coaching in 2022 when he was consulting with the Eagles. Before Denver, Fangio was named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 with the Bears.

While Fangio is the Eagles’ defensive coordinator decision, they will continue their search for an offensive coordinator. Sirianni and the Eagles decided to move on from 2023 offensive coordinator Brian Johnson shortly after their decision with Desai.

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