How Vic Fangio Will Change the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles wasted no time in hiring a new defensive coordinator. Wednesday afternoon, reports came out that former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, will likely become the new defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Fangio has had tons of success in the NFL and is a rather safe option for the Eagles. The 65-year-old coach has over 30 years of NFL coaching experience, many of those being as a defensive coordinator or head coach.  With the horrid play of the Eagles defense last year, Fangio will have his work cut out for him in 2024. However, Fangio’s reputation and experience more than meet the criteria for a turnaround. Here’s what to expect from Fangio and the defense in 2024.

How Vic Fangio Will Change the Philadelphia Eagles

Vic Fangio’s Vaunted Resume

Fangio is one of the more experienced coaches in the league, breaking into the NFL with the New Orleans Saints in 1986 and bouncing around with the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. However, he really broke out when he joined Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2010 and would later follow Harbaugh to the 49ers in 2011. His defense was a big reason for the 49ers making the Super Bowl with Harbaugh and company. After Harbaugh was fired, Fangio went to the Bears before getting a head coaching job with the Broncos in 2019. His Head coaching stint wasn’t great, but everywhere Fangio has been, he’s made one of the better defenses in the league. In his career as a defensive coordinator, he has produced 10 top ten defenses in the league, while in 2023 he had the Miami Dolphins as the tenth-best defense in yards allowed per game.

What to Expect from the Defense in 2024

There are a few interesting deep dives on what the Fangio defensive scheme is all about, but here are some of the basics. Fangio’s system primarily runs in a 3-4 defensive front and is a heavy zone coverage defense with plenty of two-deep safety looks. The strength of Fangio’s defense lies in its ability to prevent explosive plays. He could provide a lot of help to a young Eagles secondary with his scheme, not putting in them such tough positions. However, fans should most be excited to see the change to the defensive front. Haason Reddick and Nolan Smith are much more natural fits as true outside linebackers, who can play standing up or with their hand in the dirt. In the interior, Jordan Davis could potentially shift to more of a pure run-stopper, with Jalen Carter and Milton Williams playing on third and long situations.

The Bottom-Line Expectations

Everywhere Fangio has been, he’s had stars in the defensive front, and this may be the most talent on a defensive line he’s been around. The Eagles still have work to do in beefing up the secondary and linebacking core. Yet, this is a good, safe direction for the Eagles to be going. They tried to get Fangio last year, and due to unfortunate circumstances, had to play with the unknown in Desai. The Fangio hire in contrast will drastically raise the floor of this defense based on the track record of Fangio. He will be able to come in and immediately demand respect from the young players and set them up for success in all phases of the defense.