Vic Fangio a home-run hire for Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have completely revamped their organization after being one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL last season, and they’ve built a strong foundation on the defensive side of the ball with their two major additions to the coaching staff. John Fox, who was once a great defensive coordinator with the New York Giants before partaking in Super Bowls with two different teams as the head coach, is the main get, but the addition of Vic Fangio, per CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora, today is an even more impressive hire for the Bears.

Mel Tucker had nothing to work with during his time with the Bears, but it was a surprise to see him hold onto his job after an atrocious 2013 season. He failed to coax development out of anybody on that defense, but it isn’t his fault that GM Phil Emery decided to make Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings, and Danny McCray his big offseason signings at safety.

Fangio was the defensive coordinator over a San Francisco 49ers team that was just as disappointing as the Bears, except they at least managed an 8-8 record on the strength of Fangio’s defense. He had plenty of talent to work with in Justin Smith, Ian Williams, Chris Culliver, and rookie star Chris Borland, but he also dealt with plenty of injuries and other absences to the likes of Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, and standout corner Tramaine Brock.

The 49ers certainly did a great job of giving Fangio talented players to work with, but he and Seattle Seahawks DC (and soon-to-be Atlanta Falcons head coach) Dan Quinn were probably the two best coordinators at developing players and maximizing their talent. Jim Harbaugh had plenty of say on the defensive side of the ball, but Fangio was the main guy running the show on defense and has been sensational and seamlessly plugging in new players.

I think one of the marks of a great defensive coordinator is the ability to get the most out of veteran players who haven’t had much recent success. The way Mike Pettine got Jerry Hughes to break out of his bust status last season impressed me, and so did Fangio’s ability to get cornerback Perrish Cox to play at a high level this year. Cox had 18 passes defended and five interceptions, and he looked like one of the best cornerbacks in the league during the first half of the season.

Cox wasn’t the only offseason addition to have immediate success under Fangio, who immediately made the athletic Aaron Lynch a scary pass rusher for opponents to deal with, as he made the most of Aldon Smith‘s suspension. Veteran safety Antonio Bethea did reasonably well for the Indianapolis Colts last season, but his four picks, ten PDs, and fantastic pass coverage were all pleasant surprises for a player who didn’t stand out in coverage for the Colts in recent years.

Whether it’s a seasoned veteran or a rookie, Fangio has done a great job of putting these players in a position to succeed, and he did a great job of maximizing the depth on the 49ers roster. Many huge injuries hit the 49ers this past season, and yet this defense still allowed the fifth-least yards, tenth-least points, and picked off the most passes.

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It was important for the Bears to hire someone with a great track record and the ability to overcome injuries with their coaching, since the Bears haven’t exactly had the best luck with injuries lately. The difference between Tucker and Fangio in terms of coaching ability is comparable to the difference between E.J. Manuel and Ben Roethlisberger at the quarterback position; the Bears are going from an underperforming DC with no track record of success to someone who has maintained a level of consistent excellence at his job.

There’s no doubt, though, that Vic Fangio has his work cut out for him in Chicago, because he’ll inherit a defense that clearly lacks talent. Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, Tim Jennings, and Jared Allen are the only non-UFAs with proven success in this league. That said, he does have some intriguing young players to work with, most notably defensive backs Kyle Fuller and Brock Vereen, and I would love to see what he can do with linebackers Jon Bostic and Shea McClellin, who could be a sneaky breakout candidate under the new defensive coordinator.

Ryan Pace will have to find the right players this offseason in order to put the Chicago Bears defense in a position to succeed, but there’s no doubt that this organization has made two smart hires to greatly boost their chances of success on that side of the ball. Fox and Fangio, especially, know what they are doing, and the Bears defense could realistically improve by a significant margin solely from the decision to bring on Fangio, who, again, excels at developing players throughout the roster.

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