Coordinator Vic Fangio: I'll tailor Dolphins defense to players and blitz when I want to
MIAMI GARDENS — Maybe nothing speaks to how highly Vic Fangio is thought of than the fact that the Dolphins snapped him up to run their defense, making him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league, even though Monday was the first time he and head coach Mike McDaniel had significant face-to-face conversations together.
“I couldn’t be happier for the organization,” McDaniel said in introducing Fangio to the South Florida media Monday afternoon.
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The reason: Fangio, 64, brings 36 years of NFL experience with him, enough to know he’s better off letting players’ strengths dictate the direction he takes this defense rather than forcing his philosophies on them.
“What’s going to be most important is tailoring what we do to our players and to the opponent that we’re playing that week,” Fangio said.
Vic Fangio isn't one to be blitz-happy
Even so, several things were clear from Fangio’s session with reporters:
The Dolphins blitzed more than every team except one in 2022. That’s not likely to be repeated in 2023. Asked his philosophy on blitzing, Fangio said, “As needed and when I want to, versus having to. If you know you have to, that’s not a great feeling.”
Fangio is keeping all options open to the extent he even said, “I’ve been in places in the past where we pressured a lot. I’ve been in places where we didn’t pressure very much. You’ve got to fit the scheme to the players you have.”
Although Fangio declined to get into specifics about many players, he made it clear he’s high on the edge-rushing combination of Bradley Chubb, whom he coached for three seasons in Denver, and Jaelan Phillips.
“They have great potential but you know, potential — we’ve got to see it,” Fangio said. “Talking about it is easy. Projecting it is easy. But we’ve got to see it. And I’m confident knowing those two guys’ work ethic that they’ll do everything that can to put a good product out there on the field.”
Fangio high on safety Jevon Holland
Phillips and Jevon Holland were the first players Fangio mentioned when he talked about those he’s looking forward to working with. Safeties in particular have thrived under Fangio. The hope is Holland can be the next to make that final step into Pro Bowl level.
“I really liked him the year he came out of the draft,” Fangio said. “I like his physical ability with his combination of size, speed, quickness, good instincts and thinking smart from a football standpoint. … I'm hopeful and confident he can be one of the top safeties in the league."
Despite being out of the league last season, Fangio said he spent his time on a football “sabbatical,” watching extensive tape that should benefit him in his new role.
“There's a few things that I came up with that I'm anxious to try,” he said. “We'll try them in OTAs at some point and in training camp.”
Never planning to retire after getting fired in Denver, where he was head coach, Fangio set up an office in his home in Destin, in the Florida Panhandle, that enabled him to tap into all resources the average NFL coach could access. He’d study tape at his kitchen table. He’d study tape even at the local library.
“It was an interesting year,” he said. “One that I would recommend for anybody.”
Fangio’s tape study convinced him that even though this is a passing league, playing sound run defense can’t be looked upon as optional. With rushes up league-wide this season, he’s eager to coach defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
“There’s a good nucleus of players here,” he said.
Fangio, Mike McDaniel getting to know one another
Fangio and McDaniel’s paths crossed occasionally over the years. Much of what they knew about each other fell into the category of knowing of one another. Even Monday, Fangio admitted they’d spent little time together.
“I got here last Tuesday and Mike was on vacation,” Fangio said. “So today's the first day we're in here together. We did some Zoom interviews together from where he was last week.”
Fangio can’t do it alone. On Monday came news that Renaldo Hill, a safety for the Dolphins in 2006-08, was leaving his role as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers to reunite with Fangio as his passing-game coach. Fangio also said he’s looking forward to working with three defensive assistants McDaniel held over from last season: Austin Clark (defensive line), Anthony Campanile (linebackers) and Sam Madison (cornerbacks).
Among Fangio’s six NFL stops was one with the Indianapolis Colts back when they were divisional rivals of the Dolphins.
“Obviously when you think about the Dolphins we think about Don Shula, the heyday in the ‘70s the 17-0 season,” Fangio said. “I think the Dolphins are one of those franchises that the NFL is a better league when the Dolphins are relevant and hopefully we can get back to that.”
In his first season as head coach, McDaniel put together one of the NFL’s best offenses. The problem was the defense, hampered by injuries, took a step backward, finishing 24th in scoring. The 2023 season will revolve, to some degree, on whether the defense can make a leap forward. If there was a “welcome to Miami” moment Monday, it came when someone asked Fangio how close the unit is to being Super Bowl caliber.
“Can we get one practice in?” he said.
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com and followed on Twitter @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Vic Fangio: I'll tailor defense to players, blitz when I want
