It’s not much of a secret at this point. The Chicago Bears defense is one of the best in the NFL and the mastermind behind it all is Vic Fangio. This man has enjoyed a prolonged run of success as a defensive coordinator since the mid-1990s. It’s actually a bit of a shock that he hasn’t been hired as a head coach already.
Most tend to believe that it could change next January. His success at turning around the Bears back into their Monsters of the Midway form has elevated his profile. History says that excelling at that job leads to big opportunities. George Allen, Buddy Ryan, and Ron Rivera are all example of Bears defensive coordinator who became head coaches.
All three eventually led their teams to prolonged periods of winning. Fangio is older than they all were though. He’s 60-years old. Most teams these days tend to prefer younger guys. Never mind he comes from a defensive background. Still, it only takes one team to get the ball rolling. No doubt something the Bears would hope to avoid.
Vic Fangio loves Chicago but remains open to possible opportunities
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune seems to think that the market for Fangio is strong but the Bears aren’t completely helpless in the situation. Fangio loves Chicago and there’s no question he could cement his legacy as one of the best coordinators of a generation by finishing his stellar career there.
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However, the allure of being a head coach is strong and may take considerable incentive to stay away from.
“Fangio likes it here. He’s very fond of his players and has been fiercely loyal to his assistants, retaining them all from a year ago. He enjoys autonomy under Nagy to do his thing. He’s beloved by the fanbase and oversees a defense that is poised for a long run of success in a league in which sustained excellence for three years can be difficult to achieve…
…The Bears aren’t in the business of ripping up contracts for players or coaches but they might have to think outside the box if Fangio is weighing options in the next few weeks. If the Bears can pay to rebuild Halas Hall, they at least can make Fangio an offer that is hard to refuse. It wouldn’t be unprecedented — one of the reasons Josh McDaniels did a U-turn last offseason on his way to Indianapolis after the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss was because of a pay raise.”
When in doubt, few things can sway the pendulum in your favor more than cold, hard cash. While Fangio’s contract is likely among the biggest for a defensive coordinator in the NFL, there’s no reason the Bears couldn’t easily give him a raise. This upcoming playoff run is going to provide them a huge revenue boost from all angles. What they could offer him in added compensation would be pocket change by comparison.
Don’t think for a second Ryan Pace wouldn’t do it either. If he had any inkling for a second that offering more money would cement Fangio’s decision to stay, he would do it. Everybody in that building knows what the man is worth. His defense is excellent. The players love him and he allows Matt Nagy to place his primary focus where it’s needed on offense.
Yes, you already paid the man. Pay him again.
