If one were to post rankings of greatest Chicago Bears defensive coordinators in franchise history, Vic Fangio would be in the top 5 for sure. Not quite where Buddy Ryan and George Allen are, having won championships with their history defenses. Yet right on par with Ron Rivera. A man who consistently put a top 10 defense on the field with his masterpiece coming in 2018 as the unit finished 1st in the NFL.
That is what led to him getting hired as head coach in Denver. An event that still has many fans saddened. It’s hard not to feel like the defense lost its edge after Fangio left. They were still good, but they weren’t great anymore. Since then they’ve steadily been on the decline, leaving many to wonder if they can ever regain their old form.
There is hope that the promotion of Sean Desai to defensive coordinator helps.
Many feel the former safeties coach will be able to resurrect a lot of the concepts and scheme Fangio ran. Something Chuck Pagano wasn’t able to do. Desai worked under Fangio for four seasons. Former players have said he has the same level of intelligence and embraces that scheme. He is on par with former assistant coach Brandon Staley who employed it to great effect in Los Angeles.
Fangio himself told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune the Bears were right to give the young coach this opportunity. He’s ready for it.
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“I think Sean is ready,” Fangio said. “He thinks he is, which is more than half the battle. I know he has confidence in himself that he can do it. He definitely thinks he is more than ready for this and that’s a big part of it. He’s confident and I think the players will see how confident he is and how excited he is and that will get them off to a good start.”
What provides such confidence? A variety of factors. Desai has been an assistant since 2013. It’s not like he was shot up the depth chart with record speed and thrust into this position. He spent the past seven seasons patiently biding his time, learning everything he can about what makes a successful defense work.
“He’s had a good mix of coaching an up-front position and a secondary position which gave him a good understanding and a good overall view of our system and our defense at that time. That should give him a good head start on all that and that is a big part of it. The front has to marry with the back end and vice versa.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoIusdPz6OM&ab_channel=NFL
Vic Fangio knows a thing or two about molding coaches
The longtime defensive coordinator has done it throughout his career. Kevin Steele worked with him in Carolina in the 1990s. The coach soon went on to become a quality defensive coordinator at the college level and is now head coach in Tennessee. John Pagano was another one he unearthed in Indianapolis. He went on to produce a few top 10 defenses in San Diego. Todd Grantham was also on that staff and has been a longtime coordinator at the college level.
The most recent of course is Staley who served as his outside linebackers coach in Chicago and Denver. After boasting the #1 defense in the NFL this past season, he’s the head coach for the Chargers. So when Vic Fangio gives his stamp of approval to somebody when it comes to coaching defense? It isn’t just him being nice. Encouragement from him is earned.
Desai only has to go out and prove it.
It’s not like he doesn’t have pieces to work with. The Bears defense is still very talented. Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Robert Quinn, and Kyle Fuller are all current or former Pro Bowlers. Roquan Smith should’ve been a Pro Bowler. Jaylon Johnson was one of the best rookie cornerbacks in the NFL. This group is still capable of playing good football. If Desai is as capable as some believe, then 2021 could be a good year.