DENVER – The Broncos have reached a deal with Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to take over the head coaching job in Denver. Initial reports are Fangio agreed to a four-year deal.
Fangio has spent 32 years working for NFL teams. This is his first head coaching job.
Fangio coached one of the NFL’s best defenses this season with the Bears, and he’ll take over a team with a lot of defensive talent when he arrives in the Mile High City.
Fangio took over as defensive coordinator with the Bears in 2014, seeing his unit improve steadily during his time as coach. When he took over, the Bears ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the NFL when it came to total yardage allowed. In 2018, the Bears ranked third in that defensive category. The Bears also allowed the fewest points in the NFL in 2018 under Fangio’s direction.
He previously served as a defensive coordinator with multiple teams around the league, including the San Francisco 49ers under Jim Harbaugh. He also called the defense for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after Vance Joseph was fired from the position following a 2-season stint with a record of 11-21. Joseph was informed of the team’s decision following the final game of the season, a loss to the Chargers.
While defense is Fangio’s expertise, his first job will be to find a franchise quarterback in a league and division where many opponent’s offensive units outpaced defenses in the regular season.
The Broncos have struggled to find the right guy under center since Peyton Manning’s retirement and the Broncos’ 2015 Super Bowl win.
A formal announcement of the hiring could come as early as this afternoon. News5 will bring you the latest and an introduction when possible.
The team also reportedly interviewed the following candidates for the job:
Chuck Pagano – former Indianapolis Colts head coach
Zac Taylor – LA Rams quarterback coach
Mike Munchak – Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach
Brian Flores – New England Patriots defensive coordinator
