Getty Head coach Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos speaks with an official in the third quarter of the game the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
The San Francisco 49ers could be adding a familiar face to their already impressive coaching staff for the 2022 season.
Heading into this offseason, there were concerns that the Niners and head coach Kyle Shanahan could lose both their offensive and defensive coordinators. While Mike McDaniel did depart Santa Clara, California to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco DC DeMeco Ryans made a somewhat surprising move to withdraw from interviews and stick with the 49ers.
Now, Ryans may be getting a major addition to his group in the form of ex-Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. Fangio was recently let go after Denver finished 7-10, finishing his time with the Broncos with a record of 19-30.
On February 10, KOA reporter Benjamin Allbright reported that Fangio visited the 49ers franchise and general manager John Lynch to discuss a consulting role with the team.
“Vic Fangio was in San Francisco today talking to [general manager] John Lynch out there. I don’t think he’s taking the [defensive coordinator] job there,” Allbright said. “That’s DeMeco Ryans. But he may consult [a] year, take a look at it, and kind of figure things out… He’s got options, he’s got offers, as you all know. He’s also [still getting] paid to be the Broncos head coach, so he doesn’t exactly have to work in those kinds of roles this season. He can kind of do something like that before jumping back into something next year.”
Even in a smaller role like consulting, bringing Fangio back to the staff would be a huge get. As Allbright mentions, Fangio’s work as a defensive mind still makes him an asset pretty much any team would want to have.
His experience with the franchise makes this feel like a no-brainer, as his work as the 49ers DC from 2011-2014 was a crucial part to the team’s playoff success and trip to Super Bowl XLVII.
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Fangio’s Defense in Denver
While the Broncos never put together a winning season under Fangio, his defense performed at an elite level in the NFL. One stat from PFR that jumps off the page is that Denver had six games in 2021 in which they allowed one or no touchdowns.
The problem is that they were 4-2 in those games. If a team’s defense is playing like that, 6-0 is the expectation but the Denver offense struggled mightily all year. Despite ranking among the top 10 defenses in yards allowed (8th) and points allowed (3rd,) Fangio and Denver couldn’t translate that to wins.
The 49ers also ranked in the top 10 defenses in both of those categories under Ryans, but don’t think Fangio is an unnecessary addition.
The one thing Ryans lacks is coaching experience in the DC role, and not only does Fangio have that in spades, but he was being the mastermind behind the 49ers’ legendary defenses in the early 2010s only helps.
49ers Adding Other HC to Staff
While it remains to be seen if Fangio is joining the 49ers, San Francisco appears to have already locked up another ex-NFL head coach in Anthony Lynn. Per NFL media reporter Cameron Wolfe, the former Los Angeles Chargers HC is set to join Shanahan’s staff as an assistant head coach.
While Fangio would help on the defensive side, Lynn is a former running back and an offensive mind that makes perfect sense for Shanahan’s staff. With McDaniel’s departure, it also creates an interesting next step.
Are the 49ers looking to hire an OC to replace McDaniel? Shanahan calls the offensive plays and didn’t have an OC from 2017 to 2020, so it’s not a guarantee. With Lynn in the assistant HC role, the 49ers may setup Lynn as something close to an offensive coordinator, just not the title exactly.