Chicago Bears: Vic Fangio returns as defensive coordinator
The Chicago Bears have a familiar face at defensive coordiantor. Vic Fangio will be returning to to his post under new head coach Matt Nagy, which is a huge move for the success of the team in 2018.
Good news! Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Tribune, announced that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has agreed to come back to the Chicago Bears.
General manager Ryan Pace and new head coach Matt Nagy brought in Mark Helfrich as offensive coordinator and Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator. The one looming question was whether or not Fangio would return or if the Chicago Bears would bring in James Bettcher from the Arizona Cardinals.
New Bears’ HC Matt Nagy has successfully recruited DC Vic Fangio, convincing him to stay in Chicago on a three-year contract, per source. Agreeement just reached.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2018
The key for any new young HC is the hiring of his staff. Nagy has filled most of the most important positions and gets an A+. The offensive staff so far is superb
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) January 12, 2018
There were rumors swirling last night that Fangio could wind up with Pat Shurmur in Arizona, which would have been saddening to say the least.
#AZCardinals DC James Bettcher still in play with Chicago. #Bears DC Vic Fangio will likely follow Pat Shurmur wherever he lands.
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) January 12, 2018
While it would not have been the end of the world if Fangio had left, there are many reasons why it’s best that he stayed. The first is that he has done a great job with this defense the past three seasons. in 2017, the Chicago Bears ranked 9th in the NFL in points allowed per game. Also, they ranked 10th in yards allowed per game.
🙀🙀🙀🙀🙌🙌🙌
— akiem hicks (@The_Dream99) January 4, 2018
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The second reason is that the defensive players like Akiem Hicks and Prince Amukamara love playing for Fangio and there is something to be said about continuity. With a new defensive coordinator, the players would have to begin to trust the new coordinator’s system, which could take several games. Maybe bringing back Fangio will also help bring back cornerback Kyle Fuller, since both Fangio and Fuller have really bonded. Hopefully, Amukamara will also want to return.
The third and most important reason is that having Fangio is like having another head coach. When the Los Angeles Rams hired Sean McVay, they also brought in experienced defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Sometimes when you turn on a Rams game, McVay isn’t even watching the defense play. He’s too busy talking to quarterback Jared Goff on the bench. McVay clearly trusts Phillips to properly execute the defensive game plan.
Next: Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy the right man to turn team around
I would not be surprised to see Nagy do the same thing, at times. I’m sure a lot of his time will be spent coaching Mitch Trubisky. The defense is in good hands with Fangio and Nagy clearly realizes that. I’m sure the next step is to secure a lot of the defensive staff under Fangio, such as defensive backs coach Ed Donatell.