Vic Fangio chooses to join the Dolphins as defensive coordinator after speaking with other teams, per report

Vic Fangio is back as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, deciding to take the Miami Dolphins offer after discussing the position with several other teams, according to ESPN. Fangio, the defensive mastermind whom multiple teams use his scheme and defensive formations to compete in the modern NFL, is currently working as a consultant for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones first reported Fangio would choose Miami’s offer leading up to the NFC Championship Game. NFL Media reported Fangio agreed to terms on a three-year deal that includes a fourth-year team option. That deal would make Fangio the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator. Fangio did tell News 9 in Denver that a deal has not been finalized as he was still talking to multiple teams.

Fangio recently interviewed for open positions with the Falcons and Panthers, but will now serve as Mike McDaniel’s chief assistant in Miami. This marks Fangio’s fifth different defensive coordinator job at the NFL level.

When McDaniel was hired last offseason, the first-year coach notably retained Josh Boyer, who served as DC under Brian Flores starting in 2020. But the Dolphins defense ranked among the league’s worst against the pass (27th) and in average points surrendered per game (24th) during a 9-8 finish this season. Boyer’s unit finished 16th in points allowed per game the year before, regressing from a promising 2020 debut that saw Miami approach the top five in that category.

Fangio, meanwhile, has extensive experience guiding top-10 defenses over the course of more than 30 years as an NFL coach. Despite a 19-30 record as Denver’s head coach from 2019-2021, he maintained a stingy Broncos defense during that stretch. In 2022, consulting Jonathan Gannon’s Eagles defense, he helped oversee Philadelphia’s top-rated pass defense. The Eagles also have 78 sacks on the season, the third most by any team in NFL history.

Fangio is also well known for his previous stints as a coordinator, including with the Bears (2015-2018) and 49ers (2011-2014).