Former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio reportedly didn’t let Dolphins position coaches present their work to the team’s defense in the 2023 season.
“Fangio’s one-voice approach to running the defense wore on other coaches — an example being that he didn’t allow position coaches to present their work to the defense, instead gathering information from them and doing it himself,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote. “That sort of approach is decidedly old school, and seeped through to players who, by the end of the season, started to tune Fangio out.
“So while Fangio may have wanted to go to Philadelphia all along, his departure from Miami wasn’t exactly voluntary. And my sense is whoever’s next (former [Los Angeles] Chargers coach Brandon Staley meets with the Dolphins on Sunday) will have to employ a more collaborative style, plus mesh better with stars such as Jalen Ramsey.”
Multiple Dolphins defenders reacted to the news that Fangio and the Dolphins parted ways, including defensive backs Jevon Holland and Cam Smith. Both players seemed to be happy that Fangio was moving on from the franchise.
Fangio came to Miami with loads of experience as an NFL defensive coordinator. He spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers as a defensive coordinator from the 1995 season through the 2018 campaign.
He was later hired by the Denver Broncos as their head coach ahead of the 2019 season. Fangio led Denver for three seasons, posting a 19-30 record.
However, it appears the old-school coach did not mesh well with his staff or players in Miami, leading to his exit after the Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Even though Fangio didn’t seem to work in Miami, the Dolphins defense did have some positives in the 2023 regular season.
The team was tied for No. 10 in the NFL in yards per play allowed, ranked No. 9 in takeaways, tied for fourth in yards per carry allowed (3.8) and allowed the 15th fewest passing yards in the league.
Still, it wasn’t enough for Miami to win the AFC East, as the team lost to the Buffalo Bills on the final day of the NFL’s regular season to earn a wild-card spot.
That set up a playoff meeting in the first round with the Chiefs where the Dolphins lost 26-7. Kansas City has since gone on to advance to the Super Bowl.
Hopefully, the Dolphins can find a successor to Fangio that works better with the staff and players. Miami would love to find itself back in a position to win the AFC East next season, and playing well on defense will be a major factor in determining the team’s success.
