The Miami Dolphins are still wondering about Tua Tagovailoa’s future after multiple concussions in the 2022 season, but there are few other questions for the franchise to answer after the Dolphins agreed to terms with long-time defensive coach Vic Fangio to be their new defensive coordinator. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, it’s a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option that will make Fangio the league’s highest-paid coach at his position.
Fangio took a year away from the game in 2022 after the Broncos fired him as their head coach on January 9 of that year, but Fangio’s influence in the league has actually expanded over that time. When we talk about the light box/multiple coverage concepts, and act as if Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley got that going in a major way, it was Fangio who really forwarded a lot of those ideas form 2015 through 2018, when he was the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator, and Staley was his outside linebackers coach for the last two of those seasons. Fangio also brought Staley to Denver in 2019 when he became the Broncos’ head coach.
Before his time in Chicago, Fangio established one of the NFL’s best defenses in San Francisco from 2011 through 2014 as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. That was more of a 4-2-5 base defense with linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman as the starts, proving that Fangio can get it done at a high level with any set of schemes and any personnel.
The 64-year-old Fangio got his start in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers in 1005 as that franchise’s first defensive coordinator. Through 22 seasons as a defensive coordinator or head coach in the NFL, Fangio’s defenses have ranked in the top 10 in points allowed 10 times. His 2018 Bears team ranked first, and the 2011 and 2012 49ers, 1996 Panthers, and 2021 Broncos each ranked second.
The 2022 Dolphins ranked 24th in points allowed and fired defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on January 19.