Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio Will Lead Team into New Era
The Denver Broncos have found their next head football coach and it is Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
After the Denver Broncos cut ties with Vance Joseph, the expectation was the team would hire an experienced coach to take the reins. The Broncos interviewed Chuck Pagano, Zac Taylor, Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, and Mike Munchak for the head coach position. Ultimately the decision came down to Munchak and Fangio.
Denver reached agreement with Bears’ DC Vic Fangio to become the Broncos’ next head coach, sources tell me and @DanGrazianoESPN. It will be a four-year deal plus a team option for a fifth, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2019
In all honesty, those are not bad choices for a team striving to be good on one side of the ball.
John Elway dropped a big clue at his end of season press conference, stating a desire for experience and success on one side of the ball. Fangio has a long-standing career as a defensive coordinator for over 30 years. His resumé speaks for itself. Fangio worked for eight NFL teams. He has worked strictly with the defensive side of the ball.
Fangio does not have head coaching experience, but his stellar resumé begs the question — why has he not been one before?
Maybe it is because he’s his own brand of guy, and refuses to change for anyone else. The Miami Dolphins declined to interview Fangio. This potentially opened up a huge door for Fangio to be the head coach in Denver.
Some in the media believe the unplanned dinner he and Elway had in Chicago was nothing. It may not have been. Elway did a sit with all three major candidates Chuck Pagano, Mike Munchak, and Fangio. The only difference is Fangio’s dinner was in Chicago.
It was planned for the Denver Broncos to interview Fangio then leave after. However, going through with a dinner on the road after a team lost in heartbreaking fashion shows Elway was serious about Fangio as a candidate. Sure enough, it came to fruition.
This move will hinge on the rest of the staff Fangio puts in place. However, there will be toughness instilled in every situation. It’s believed we will see Gary Kubiak returning to the offensive coordinator position, or on the staff in some way. Either way, the Broncos need fresh blood and a new wave of young, innovative talent at key positions to be successful in 2019.
One thing is very certain — The defensive intensity is expected to return with the hire of Fangio. Defense is the strong suit of the team and has been for many years. If Fangio can bring the same passion to Denver, it will be infectious to the entire team as a whole. Expect Fangio to be well in tune with the defense and play calls. Kicking and screaming will be back in Denver.
It will be imperative for all collective heads to be on the same page. Fangio and Kubiak (if on staff) are strong voices on the sidelines. The head coach should dabble in every position group to stay in the loop.
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With that said the Denver Broncos made the best decision for the franchise. It will be criticized by some or many, but with the firing of Joseph, the Broncos hired an ‘experienced’ head coach. The move to secure a veteran coach was expected.