Falcons Interviewing Former Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio to Replace Dean Pees

Vic Fangio could be the new Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator after Dean Pees' retirement.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 18, 2023

The Atlanta Falcons are adding to their list of defensive coordinator candidates by interviewing one of the most respected coaches in the game.

According to NFL Network, the Falcons are set to interview Vic Fangio for their vacant defensive coordinator position.

Fangio, 64, is currently a defensive consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles, who gave up the second-fewest yards per game this season. It's apart of a long list of accomplishments Fangio has built in his 30+ years as a coach in the NFL.

Fangio's last stop as a defensive coordinator was with the Chicago Bears from 2015-18, where he led the unit to the third-fewest yards in the league. His success in Chicago landed him a head coaching gig with the Denver Broncos, where he coached from 2019-21 and finished with a 19-30 record.

Fangio has been rumored to return to the defensive coordinator ranks in this offseason cycle. ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton was specifically eyeing him to be his defensive coordinator should he land a head coaching job this year.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith and Fangio have never crossed paths or worked together in their careers so far. However, Fangio did work alongside executive Ryan Pace while the two were in Chicago.

Atlanta would be silly to not at least gauge interest in potentially hiring one of the most accomplished defensive coordinators on the market.

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Published Jan 18, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.