Getty Will Vic Fangio and Jim Harbaugh wind up with the Minnesota Vikings?
Could the Minnesota Vikings land Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach along with Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator?
It’s not what fans of the Chicago Bears want to hear, but it’s a definite possibility. New Vikings general Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a past connection with Harbaugh. Adofo-Mensah served as manager of research and development for the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, and he worked with Harbaugh, who was the head coach of the Niners at the time, for two seasons.
“The Minnesota Vikings reached out to Michigan and received permission to speak to Jim Harbaugh about their open head-coaching job a source told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin,” Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on Jan. 29.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Vikings interviewed Harbaugh on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 29.
Source tells PFT that Jim Harbaugh’s interview with the Vikings happened this evening.
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Many Bears Fans, Analysts Wanted Harbaugh in Chicago
Rumors flew for weeks linking Harbaugh to the Bears’ head coaching vacancy, but Chicago went another route, hiring former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. It was also rumored the Bears signed the general manager Minnesota wanted in Ryan Poles, with the Vikings hiring Adofo-Mensah after Chicago added Poles. It’s Adofo-Mensah’s past ties to Harbaugh that could lead to the current Michigan Wolverines coach returning to the NFL.
“Harbaugh has emerged as a candidate in part because of a strong relationship with new Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, with whom Harbaugh overlapped while he was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers,” Thamel’s ESPN report stated. “A source told Cronin that the relationship between Adofo-Mensah and Harbaugh is one of the primary drivers of the franchise’s interest in Harbaugh.”
The Harbaugh-to-Minnesota smoke is getting thicker by the second, and the idea he’ll bring Fangio — who is currently unemployed after getting fired as head coach of the Denver Broncos — on as his DC if he’s hired isn’t just possible — it’s likely.
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Harbaugh & Fangio Combo Could Be Trouble for NFC North
Fangio and Harbaugh worked together for a total of five years, first with the Stanford Cardinal and later with the 49ers, where they led the team to a Super Bowl appearance and three playoff appearances in four years. Fangio served as defensive coordinator the entire time, a role he also held in Chicago from 2015-18.
Fangio was beloved in Chicago, a no-nonsense grinder capable of both hilarious bon mots and on-field results. In his last season as defensive coordinator with the Bears in 2018, Fangio led a defense that allowed 17.7 points per game, while and the unit also led the NFL with 27 interceptions and 36 total takeaways.
If Harbaugh returns to the NFL ranks — and it looks like he might — adding Fangio to lead his defense seems like a no-brainer. Fangio remains one of the most well-respected defensive minds in the league, and he won’t stay unemployed for long.
Bears fans — and fans of the other NFC North squads — are hoping they don’t have to face a Fangio-led defense twice a year, but the way things are trending, that may be the case. Harbaugh has a career record of 44-19-1 as an NFL head coach, and he is also 4-0 over his career against the Green Bay Packers, so the Bears aren’t the only team hoping he stays in Ann Arbor.
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Bears Could See Beloved Former Coach Land With Top Rival: Report