1. Hiring Vic Fangio
The Denver Broncos set out to change their culture in 2019.
John Elway made the decision to fire Vance Joseph and open up the hiring process after two years of double-digit loss football, and the guy he brought in is a rare rookie head coach.
Vic Fangio is one of the most experienced coaches in the NFL. There’s not a scenario this guy hasn’t seen and he’s been part of a few generations of football.
Though Fangio — now in his early 60s — gives off an old-school vibe he’s anything but set in his ways.
His defense has transcended and adapted through the years and the rigors of NFL rule changes whether he was with the 49ers in the early 2010s or the Chicago Bears for the past four years.
Fangio has proven himself to be a viable NFL head coaching candidate for a long time, and John Elway finally gave him the shot he deserves.
When Fangio was introduced to the Denver media as the team’s newest head coach, he said this team will not suffer a ‘death by inches’ which means they will be detail oriented.
Not that Vance Joseph wasn’t, but it was clear to see the Broncos were killed the last two years by not doing the little things well.
Players have already started commenting on how ‘serious’ this year’s OTAs feel. Fangio shifted the Broncos’ offseason plan to include some actual work for the rookies out on the field instead of just an introduction to the NFL class and some light work.
He seems like the perfect blend of old and new, and while he’s going to command the respect of his players, he doesn’t seem like the buddy-buddy type.
Fangio is not a strict disciplinarian, but he demands the best from his guys and he challenges them every single day. You can tell how intense he is by some of the comments he makes about practices and how guys can get better.
He’s brutally honest and knows what good football is and what isn’t.
Fangio’s track record in the NFL is one of the most consistent among coordinators in the league. He was named the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 after the work he did with the Chicago Bears’ defense, and he has inspired new confidence in Broncos Country with his approach.
This was such an important move for the Broncos.