Vic Fangio will be the one to fix the Miami Dolphins defense going forward.
While the Miami Dolphins will always make Darius Rucker cry, Vic Fangio coordinating their defense should make those tissues unnecessary in due time.
The former Denver Broncos head coach has reportedly signed a contract to be the highest-paid defensive coordinator in all of football. It will be a three-year deal with a fourth-year option. What a tremendous get for second-year head coach Mike McDaniel! The last time Squints got this lucky, he went to a pool. Pairing this elite offensive mind with a defensive one is outstanding for Miami.
The Dolphins did make the AFC playoffs as the No. 7 seed in McDaniel’s first season at the helm.
Miami Dolphins make a splash by hiring Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator
Though the Dolphins have some quarterback issues to sort out this offseason pertaining to Tua Tagovailoa’s health, getting arguably the top available defensive mind into your building cannot hurt. In retrospect, maybe it was not Fangio who was the problem in Denver? He lasted considerably longer than his successor Nathaniel Hackett did, and Hackett had Russell Wilson!
What this move means is Miami views itself in win-now mode. Though the Dolphins play in the incredibly tough AFC, they are clearly going for it with their defensive coordinator hire. They have playmakers at all levels of their defense. If that becomes a major area of strength for them, perhaps the Dolphins can win their first playoff game since Dave Wannstedt was the head coach?
Overall, Fangio had a strong market for his next job. Once the Atlanta Falcons decided to go with Ryan Nielsen formerly of the New Orleans Saints as their defensive coordinator, it sped up the process for Fangio to find his next employer. Miami does have dysfunctional tendencies, but the McDaniel/Fangio partnership can bring the greatest sustained success they have had in decades.
It may be hard for Fangio to live up to the hype of this hire, but the Dolphins reeled in a great one.