Vic Fangio leaves Dolphins, likely to join Eagles

The Miami Dolphins marriage with Vic Fangio, the team's defensive coordinator, was short-lived and it had more to do with his personality than his performance

The Miami Dolphins landed Vic Fangio as one of their top assistant coaches last offseason because they were willing to make the grizzled coach the highest-paid defensive coordinator in NFL history.

But money wasn't enough to keep Fangio around for a second season.

The Dolphins and Fangio have parted ways early, ending the two-year contract that was rumored to be worth $10 million, allowing the leader of the NFL's 10th-ranked defense to pursue other opportunities.

And considering Fangio wanted to take the Eagles defensive coordinator position after he'd accepted Miami's offer last offseason, it appears the Dolphins let him out of his contract so he could join the Eagles staff, replacing Matt Patricia and leading the defense of his hometown team.

While Fangio did an admirable job coaching Miami's defense, which entered the Week 17 loss against the Baltimore Ravens ranked as the No. 4 defense and set a franchise record for sacks in a season, Fangio's stubbornness and uncompromising ways didn't sit well with many of his players and other coaches.

According to team sources, Fangio's performance was a major topic of discussion in coach Mike McDaniel's exit interviews, and there were a number of the team's top performers who either wanted Fangio to change his ways or be replaced, and flat-out told McDaniel this.

Among the issues that troubled players were the handling of pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, who sparingly played despite contributing five sacks and an interception when worked into the defense; the defense's unwillingness to have cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey or Xavien Howard shadow the opposition's best receivers; and the treatment of rookie cornerback Cam Smith, who entered Fangio's doghouse before the season and never exited despite Miami's struggles at the position.

According to a source, at times McDaniel had concerns about whether Fangio was willing to listen to him. However, McDaniel was aware of Fangio's personality and entered their relationship knowing he had a rigid, uncompromising style.

“I want to thank Vic for his contributions in 2023. When we assessed the season, it became apparent that this was the best path forward for all parties involved,” McDaniel said in a released statement. “Now, we turn our focus to 2024 and beyond with urgency as we identify the best candidate to lead our defense moving forward. We remain steadfastly committed to the development of our players and to building a winning team with sustained success.”