Super Bowl 2023: Eagles bring in defensive expert Vic Fangio on temporary deal to be secret weapon vs. Chiefs

Former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has one major task to complete before joining the Miami Dolphins: win Super Bowl LVII.

“Wait a minute,” you might say. “Vic Fangio is not the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles. He gave up coaching completely after he was fired from the Broncos, right?”

A few weeks ago you would have been right. But it looks like the Eagles secretly hired Fangio to help them beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Fangio reportedly signed a two-week contract with the team to assist on offense, according to NFL Network’s Jan Rapoport.

Fangio reportedly has strong relationships with a number of Eagles coaches. The team was allegedly interested in bringing in Fangio as a regular season assistant, but he decided to take some time off from the NFL.

Fangio made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He served in this role on various teams from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2011 to 2018. So how did he help the Eagles’ offense ahead of Super Bowl LVII? Fangio was reportedly “involved in self-reconnaissance and projects”, according to Rapoport.

He may have researched the Eagles offense and given the team advice on what to expect from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo. It’s also possible that he told the Eagles what types of plays to use or how to confuse the Chiefs defensively.

Fangio must have some idea of ​​the situation. In addition to his experience as a longtime defensive coordinator, he faced Spagnolo’s defense several times while Fangio was with the Broncos. Spagnolo was hired as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator in 2019, Fangio’s first year as head coach of the Broncos. The Broncos went 0-6 against the Chiefs under Fangio, but at least he got a good look at how Kansas City was doing.

After the Super Bowl, Fangio will sign a four-year contract as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator. According to Rapoport, the contract will make Fangio the highest paid coordinator in the NFL.

Fangio doesn’t have to justify that salary, as he’s been a successful defensive coordinator everywhere he’s gone, but if he comes to his first Dolphins meeting and shows off a Super Bowl LVII ring, it’ll make a big impression.