Vic Fangio expected to be next Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator after parting ways with Dolphins: report
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Vic Fangio is expected to become the next defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles after he parted ways with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, CBS Sports reported.
ESPN reported the Dolphins are allowing Fangio to leave to be closer to his family. He's a Dunmore, Pennsylvania, native, which is just outside Scranton and roughly two and a half hours from Philadelphia.
RELATED: 6 Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator candidates
When asked about the Fangio report during a press conference on Wednesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said: "We've got a lot of good targets that we're working through, and there are a lot of guys that have done really well in their interview process, and I look forward to continuing on that process. We'll see what happens."
Fangio, 65, served as a consultant for the Eagles in the 2022 season during the team's Super Bowl run before becoming the defensive coordinator of the Dolphins.
After the team's Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon left to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and Fangio had already been committed to the Dolphins' defense coordinator job.
As a result, the Eagles hired Sean Desai as the team's next defensive coordinator following Gannon and Fangio's departures from the organization, and the former only lasted one season in Philadelphia.
RELATED: Brian Johnson out as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator in 2024: CBS Sports
Desai, who comes from the Fangio defensive philosophy, was demoted midseason by the Eagles after senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia took over playcalling responsibilities in the Week 15 game vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
But the defense got worse under Patricia as the Birds collapsed at the end of the season after starting 10-1 and ending the season in the wild card round of the playoffs. Now, Patricia and Desai will be seeking new jobs for the 2024 season after both were fired.
Fangio would bring years of experience to head coach Sirianni's coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball, and he was also a head coach from 2019-21 with the Denver Broncos.
Fangio has been coaching football since 1979. He started as a linebackers coach at his alma-mater, Dunmore High School, before moving through the coaching ranks of the NFL as a defensive assistant, linebackers coach and defensive coordinator.
In his one season with the Dolphins, Fangio's defense dealt with plenty of injuries, including to Pro Bowl corner Jalen Ramsey and top edge rushers Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Despite the injuries, Fangio's defense ranked 10th total yard allowed, eighth in takeaways, seventh against the run and 15th against the pass. It also allowed 23 points per game, which ranked 11th-worst in the NFL.
The Eagles beat the Dolphins in the 2023 season, 31-17, in October.
