The Chicago Bears have named Vic Fangio as their next defensive coordinator, the team officially reported on Tuesday. Fangio will join John Fox's staff after spending the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He replaces Mel Tucker, who served under former head coach Marc Trestman.
Vic Fangio hired as next Bears defensive coordinator
The former 49ers coordinator will head to the Windy City after being passed over for the head coach position in San Francisco.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Fangio going to Chicago came as somewhat of a surprise after Monday’s report from CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora that Fangio and secondary coach Ed Donatell were expected to land in Washington. However, Fangio decided to work with Fox instead of Jay Gruden, who was under constant fire during a 4-12 campaign in his first year.
Fangio was part of the staff that orchestrated three NFC Championship appearances under former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. His unit ranked in the top five in total defense all four years. Fangio interviewed for the head coaching position after Harbaugh left San Francisco, but former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula won the job. Fangio was then released from his contract.
This past season, Fangio’s defensive skills were on full display. The story of San Francisco’s season could have easily been about how Fangio orchestrated defensive consistency despite countless injuries to the unit, but instead the struggles on offense and Harbaugh’s departure overshadowed the defense.
Patrick Willis missed most of the season, while NaVorro Bowman missed the whole campaign. They aren't just arguably the best pairing of linebackers in the NFL, but they both have a strong claim for the top spots in the whole league individually. Yet replacements Michael Wilhoite and rookie Chris Borland played incredibly well. At one point in the season, defensive end Justin Smith was the only member from the 2013 NFC Championship starting defense who was a healthy starter in 2014.
Late in the season, the 49ers had just three players starting who were pegged as starters in the preseason. The numbers San Francisco put up were impressive given the circumstances, and many see Fangio’s departure as a sizable step back, especially with Harbaugh out.
After a 5-11 season, Chicago is in sore need of a turnaround, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The defense gave up 377.1 yards per game and also allowed the second-most points in the league, yielding an average of 27.6 points per game. Only the Oakland Raiders fared worse.
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