The Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching search has been a roller coaster ride, but it hit another loop on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team also interviewed former Denver coach Vic Fangio on Monday.
Per Schefter, the veteran head coach was interviewing for the same role he had with the Broncos, however, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union, it was for a coordinator role, so there is a conflicting report.
When the Jaguars private plane was in Denver on Monday, it wasn't there to take Nathaniel Hackett to Jacksonville for an interview; it was there to pick up former Broncos HC Vic Fangio, who has interviewed for Jaguars' HC job, per league sources. Fangio is a candidate for Jaguars
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2022
Source confirmed the Jaguars interviewed former Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio Monday, not necessarily for head coaching opening but possibly as defensive coordinator under the new head coach.
— John Reid (@JohnReid64) January 27, 2022
Fangio had been rumored to be of interest to the Jags, but most of those rumors matched Reid’s report about him being a defensive coordinator target. That said, the Jags’ interest in Fangio (regardless of the role) was likely due to general manager Trent Baalke, who worked with Fangio with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14.
Fangio, who has been the Broncos’ head coach the last three seasons, garnered a 19–30 (.388) record as a head coach, so a role as a coordinator makes more sense for him at this point of his career. And while he ultimately didn’t have an impressive run as a head coach, he did aid the team to success on defense under notables Justin Simmons and Von Miller (before he was traded) and the team finished 2021 eighth in defense.
Fangio was fired by the Denver Broncos on Jan. 9 after the Broncos finished the season 7-10. During his first season, they were 7-9, then 5-11 the following season. However, he’s well respected as a defensive coordinator, and if that’s the role they want him in, it could help the Jags young group take another step.