Vic Fangio Gives the Dolphins Long-Term Defensive Stability
New Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Img 9609 Syndication Palm Beach Post
When the Miami Dolphins made Vic Fangio the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL at $4.5 million per year, it was not just an attempt to improve what is a talented unit and that finished 15th in DVOA last season. It was also an attempt at stability.
Usually, coaches are trying to climb the ladder. It’s fairly difficult to keep assistants in place for more than two or three years. Fangio, though, is at a different phase of his career. After three seasons as the Denver Broncos head coach and at 64 years old, it became obvious that coordinating defenses is what he wants to do. Barring exceptional circumstances, the Dolphins can trust they will have the top of the coaching staff in place with Mike McDaniel and Fangio for years to come.
“I’ve always been a swing-for-the-fences type of guy, and my mind really fixated on [Fangio],” said McDaniel after hiring the experienced coordinator. “I just knew there are so many players here that would gain so much for their dreams and career, he would make me a better coach as well. So, I’m through the moon with it, really excited about it.”
Over the past decade, it’s been a challenge for the Dolphins to keep defensive coordinators for long periods. Kevin Cole, who stayed in Miami from 2012 to 2015, is the longest-tenured one since Jim Bates, who left Miami after the 2004 season. Since then, the Dolphins have had a revolving door of defensive coordinators, with Vance Joseph (2016), Matt Burke (2017-2018), Patrick Graham (2019), and Josh Boyer (2020-2022). And even though Boyer was the coordinator for three years, he only took the unit over last year — previously, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores was the head of the defense.
The search for stability is clear beyond Fangio. Even after changing coordinators, the Dolphins decided to keep most of their defensive assistants. Defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist Sam Madison, and assistant defensive backs Mathieu Araujo have been kept in place. Moreover, senior defensive assistant Ryan Slowik has been promoted to outside linebackers coach. The outside additions are passing game coordinator/secondary coach Renaldo Hill, safeties coach Joe Kasper, assistant defensive line coach Kenny Baker, senior assistant Wade Harman, and defensive assistant Steve Donatell.
With him, Fangio brings to Florida a strong recent résumé. When he became an NFL defensive coordinator for the first time, for the inaugural season of the Carolina Panthers in 1995, Mike McDaniel was 12. Since then, Fangio also coordinated defenses for the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans before a stretch in lesser roles and one year at Stanford.
Since he came back to the NFL in 2011, Vic Fangio has transformed how professional defenses play. His scheme structure has been spread around the league, and replaced the Seattle Seahawks cover-3-based defense as the new mantra.
“Coach [Vic] Fangio is a friggin’ mastermind,” defensive line coach Austin Clark praised. “He’s got a lot of different groupings, a lot of different fronts.”
The results have been equally impressive. Since 2011, Fangio has led defenses in 11 of the 12 seasons. In these 11 years, he had a top-five unit by defensive DVOA four times, including the best while coordinating the Chicago Bears in 2018, and was below average just three times — two with the Bears, because of talent issues, and in his last year in Denver.
Vic Fangio as DC recently by DVOA:
- 2011 49ers: 3rd
- 2012 49ers: 2nd
- 2013 49ers: 13th
- 2014 49ers: 5th
- 2015 Bears: 31st
- 2016 Bears: 22nd
- 2017 Bears: 14th
- 2018 Bears: 1st
- 2019 Broncos: 13th
- 2020 Broncos 13th
- 2021 Broncos: 20th
The challenges for 2023 will be real. Even with so much talent on the roster, the Dolphins will face Josh Allen‘s Buffalo Bills and Aaron Rodgers‘ New York Jets twice each. The schedule also includes games against Justin Herbert‘s Los Angeles Chargers, Jalen Hurts‘ Philadelphia Eagles, Patrick Mahomes‘ Kansas City Chiefs, and Lamar Jackson‘ Baltimore Ravens. Jalen Ramsey injury that could keep him out of the field until December doesn’t help either. But if there’s one coach capable of putting together a good enough defense in this situation, well, Fangio might be him.
“I think the Dolphins have a good thing going here,” Fangio said after being hired. “I like Mike [McDaniel] and his staff that he already has in place here. I think there’s good components to the coaching staff, led by Mike, that made it intriguing to join that. I think there’s a good nucleus of players here. And the allure of South Florida.”
South Florida will always be there, Mike McDaniel seems to be a long-term head coach, the money is good, and Fangio doesn’t feel inclined to be a head coach again. Things change fast in the NFL, but there’s as good of a chance as it could be that Fangio will be in Miami for years to come.
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