Why did Dolphins fire Vic Fangio? Tyreek Hill's agent spills the beans on DC's sudden exit
Vic Fangio was hired by the Miami Dolphins to take over as their defensive coordinator before the start of the 2023 NFL season. Despite several key injuries, he helped the team's defense rank among the top ten in several important categories, including yards allowed and total takeaways, in his first year.
His success in his first season with the Dolphins, as well as his highly respected reputation around the NFL for being one of the best overall defensive coordinators, made the news a bit shocking when the franchise announced that they would be parting ways. He has spent 20 years as a defensive coordinator with six different teams, so it was surprising to see him out of Miami so quickly.
Some have speculated that while Fangio's defense posted solid numbers in many areas, ranking 22nd in points allowed per game could have influenced the Dolphins to go in a different direction.
They also struggled in their loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs, allowing 26 points.
However, Drew Rosenhaus heard that Vic Fangio was fired for a cause other than on-field performance. Rosenhaus is one of the most popular agents in the NFL, representing Tyreek Hill and many other players.
“There were quite a few players that didn’t necessarily get along with Fangio. It wasn’t a great relationship with many of the players,” Rosenhaus said.
The defensive coordinator didn't take long at all to find a new job, with the Philadelphia Eagles quickly hiring him for the same position. Their defense completely collapsed last season, so he will look to turn things around.
How have Vic Fangio's defenses ranked over the past couple of years?
Vic Fangio has been a successful defensive coordinator for 20 NFL seasons and also spent three years as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. His defenses have ranked among the top 15 teams in yards allowed in 11 of his past 12 seasons, including six finishes among the top eight.
In eight of his previous 12 seasons, his defenses were among the top 10 in terms of points allowed, with five of those teams ranking among the top three. During the same 12-year period, he has also finished in the top eight in takeaways five times.