The #Dolphins have agreed to terms with Vic Fangio on a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator, per sources.
It’s a 3-year deal with a 4th-year team option. Fangio, the former #Broncos coach, is one of football’s best defensive minds. Huge get for Mike McDaniel. pic.twitter.com/ynCK2BB2xC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2023
Hey, good on the Miami Dolphins for correctly identifying a weakness and acting aggressively to address it. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Dolphins have agreed to bring on Vic Fangio as the league’s highest-paid defensive coordinator, which creates a couple of important ripple effects for the New Orleans Saints and several coaches with ties to them.
For one thing, Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard also met with Miami as a candidate for this job. The Dolphins have gone in a different direction so he’s working with fewer options if he wants to leave New Orleans. Richard has also received an interview request from the Carolina Panthers but it remains to be seen whether he’s in consideration for the coordinator job under new head coach Frank Reich.
Could Richard return to New Orleans as the full-time coordinator? He shared the co-DC title with Ryan Nielsen last season, who was hired by the Atlanta Falcons. Richard didn’t call plays defensively with the Saints (Dennis Allen held onto that responsibility) so he would have the opportunity to do that elsewhere, like in Carolina. It’s something to watch.
Another thing: Fangio was long rumored to be Sean Payton’s top pick at defensive coordinator for wherever he ends up next. Now that option is off the table, and the vision he’s proposing to teams interested in hiring him as head coach changes with it. He shouldn’t lack for qualified candidates but it is noteworthy that his plan has had to change.