The Miami Dolphins fired defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on Thursday after three seasons in the role, leaving a large hole on that side of the coaching staff.
While Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier and company haven’t had any candidates reported, one coach who would make a lot of sense for the role is Vic Fangio.
Fangio, 64, began coaching in the NFL in 1986 when he joined Jim Mora’s New Orleans Saints staff as linebackers coach. Since then, Fangio has served as defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers (1995-98), Indianapolis Colts (1999-2001), Houston Texans (2002-05), San Francisco 49ers (2011-14) and the Chicago Bears (2015-18).
He was also the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2019-21 before spending this last season as a defensive consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles.
His experience speaks for itself.
During Fangio’s last season as defensive coordinator of the Bears, they were the top scoring unit in the league. This year, with Philadelphia, the defense jumped from 19th in scoring in 2021 to eighth in 2022.
On top of his defensive performances, it’s known that Miami has been interested in Fangio’s services in the past. The Dolphins requested to interview him for their open head coach job in 2019 after firing Adam Gase. They ended up not meeting with him and hired Brian Flores for the job.
Still, the fact that Grier and owner Stephen Ross considered him for the position is notable.
While candidates for the role will likely be announced in the coming days, Fangio seems like one of the best out there. If he can inherit a unit that’s filled with playmakers, he may be able to help Miami take that next step in their evolution.
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