The Denver Broncos could be looking for a new head coach in 2022, and there could even be an idea where the team does just that while also keeping Vic Fangio.
The Broncos have just about completed another disappointing season, one that is going to leave them short of the postseason once again. It seems clear that major changes need to be on the way.
With that being said, it doesn’t seem that it is a slam dunk that the team will move on from Vic Fangio as its head coach. Many fans would likely be ready to riot if that was the case, but the team needs to identify a clear-cut candidate that could get the ship moving in the other direction.
Looking at the list of potential candidates, there certainly does not seem to be a slam-dunk name on there.
But what about this idea from Woody Paige?
If Jim Harbaugh were hired to coach Broncos, he could hire his defensive coordinator at Stanford and with 49ers. Vic Fangio.
— Woody Paige (@woodypaige) January 5, 2022
Could the Broncos actually bring in Jim Harbaugh? It seems unlikely that Harbaugh would want to leave Ann Arbor given the success of the Michigan Wolverines this past year, but enough money and potential control over certain decisions could be enough to lure him back to the pro game.
Jim Harbaugh and Vic Fangio coached together in two different stops
Harbaugh is quite familiar with Fangio as the two have coached together with both the San Francisco 49ers and in college at Stanford.
Fangio was the defensive coordinator at Stanford in 2010, Harbaugh’s final year at the school and came with Harbaugh when the 49ers hired him as head coach.
If Harbaugh were to take another coaching job in the NFL, it’s safe to say Fangio would be on a shortlist of potential defensive coordinators.
But how realistic is this idea? Sure, it’s fun and if you connect the dots, it could make sense. But it would require many stars to align.
If the Broncos were to get Harbaugh (and that is a massive if), would the team even be willing to keep Fangio around? Would Fangio be interested in a clear demotion with the same organization and players?
It could be much more trouble than it is worth and as we have talked about before, Fangio sticking around in that capacity doesn’t make much sense.
If the Broncos were able to come up with a package to get Harbaugh, that is the kind of slam-dunk head coaching hire that will make a splash and recharge an organization. But if it were to happen, a potential reunion with Fangio should be scratched off of the idea list.