Chicago Bears: How to Keep Vic Fangio On Board
By Erik Lambert
Finding a new head coach is going to be the top priority for the Chicago Bears going into the 2018 off-season, and nothing will change that.
However, the situation is a bit more complicated than it sounds. Not all of the current coaching staff is on bad terms with the organization. While John Fox and Dowell Loggains have faded from the spotlight, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has carried out his duties with exceptional results. Despite a myriad of injuries this season, he has the Bears defense ranked top 10 in both total yards and points allowed. Amidst a down year at least one familiar feeling is back in Chicago.
The problem is all of that could go away if the Bears lose Fangio. Not only will Fox be fired come January, but Fangio’s contract will expire at the same time. Word is the team has tried to extend him to this point without success. It’s unclear what the plans on his end are. Some feel he might want to return to the west coast but there’s no telling where he might end up. Perhaps Oakland is his only hope based on current projections.
On the other hand, some hold out hope there is still a way to get him to stay. So how?
Fangio will need to be wooed by the coach he serves under
This is almost an exact duplicate situation of what the Bears encountered back in 2013. They were hoping to keep Rod Marinelli on as their defensive coordinator after firing Lovie Smith. Marinelli though chose to leave after he found out Marc Trestman would be named the head coach. In retrospect that should’ve been a major red flag right from the start but regardless. This is a vital lesson in what the Bears face now. If they want to keep Fangio in town, they have to lure him in with the prospect of serving under a quality coach he’ll respect.
Fangio himself offered a clue to that end. He was asked one time why he enjoyed working under Jim Harbaugh so much during their runs together at Stanford and San Francisco. This despite the latter being an offensive coach. He stated that Harbaugh held a certain appreciation for the defensive side of the ball. Not all of his focus was on offense. He liked such coaches.
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This could be the vital clue for the Bears to pounce on. If they can find somebody similar to Harbaugh, a respected offensive coach who takes a serious interest in defense, then their odds of retaining the quality defensive coordinator may just go up.