The Miami Dolphins are wasting no time in their search for a new defensive coordinator after cutting ties with Vic Fangio earlier this week.
They reportedly have feelers out to ex-Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley and Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich for the job, with more sure to come.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t yet really explained why he’d let one of this generation’s brightest defensive minds out of his contract, but Miami players have, bit by bit, filled in the details.
The most explicit bit of context came courtesy of receiver Tyreek Hill, who weighed in on Fangio’s quick exit from Miami during a recent live stream.
Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill on Vic Fangio
Officially, the Dolphins said they and Fangio mutually agreed to part ways. McDaniel said in a news release that “it became apparent that this was the best way forward for all parties involved.”
McDaniel didn’t get into the details of why, but over the last three days, the picture has more and more come into focus.
The short version, based on private conversations? Fangio was prickly (to say the least) to both players and even his colleagues on the Dolphins coaching staff, and he didn’t want to be in Miami.
Defensive backs Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland, and Cam Smith all had issues with Fangio, and players’ input factored into McDaniel’s decision to let Fangio take another job.
On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles made official what everyone knew was coming: Fangio is replacing Sean Desai as their DC, hiring him for the job he wanted a year before.
This came as no surprise to Hill.
Tyreek Hill on Vic Fangio being fired:
“I respected him a lot. I’m not surprised he’s about to land in Philly because people behind closed doors were saying he was trying to get to Philly anyways. He’s a guru at defense, he’s just gotta learn how to fit in with his players.” pic.twitter.com/9es7tJuttA
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) January 27, 2024
“A lot of people have been asking me how do I feel about that, bro. It’s like, bro, I’m on offense. I play receiver. I have no idea what’s going on. I thought Coach Vic was like OG, I respected him a lot. He was old school. That’s all I had to say. Me being around him, he was old school. That’s all I had to say.
“He reminded me a lot of Coach Reid. That mindset of wanting to have a lot of reps and then working fast and working hard, that kind of mentality. I was cool with it, you feel me? I’m cool with that kind of stuff. Probably not the long days. Let me get in, let me get the work, watch film, get the weights in, and then bounce.
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“But besides that, his firing was very shocking. I’m not surprised he landed in Philly. People talk around the league behind closed doors. They was like, ‘Vic trying to get to Philly anyways.’
“I just want to say shoutout to Coach Vic for making a pit stop in Miami. I learned a lot from him, even though it was quick. He’s really a guru at defense. He’s just got to learn how to fit in with his players.”
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