There was some talk late in the season that Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was on the hot seat. That thought seemed unthinkable on Dec. 1 when the Eagles were 10-1 and looked like they were heading for another Super Bowl appearance.
However, Philadelphia finished the regular season 1-6 and was manhandled in the NFC wild-card round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, the talk of Sirianni’s job status made it clear that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wasn’t standing pat in 2024.
Sirianni fired both of his coordinators (offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai) after one season. The moves were warranted after the Eagles took significant steps backward on both sides of the ball in 2023 after losing Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon last offseason.
On Saturday, Philadelphia hired Vic Fangio to replace Desai — his former disciple. Sirianni had tried to hire Fangio last offseason, but Fangio chose the Miami Dolphins instead. Earlier this week, in some surprising news, the Dolphins and Fangio agreed to part ways after just one season.
The Dolphins finished 19th in defensive DVOA last season, per FTN.
The Dolphins and DC Vic Fangio have mutually agreed to part ways. pic.twitter.com/T3bJy8nMC1
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 24, 2024
Sirianni released a statement on Fangio’s hiring via Eagles Wire.
“Vic’s reputation obviously speaks for itself,” Sirianni said. “He’s a brilliant defensive mind who has coached at a very high level in this league for many years. In my time spent with Vic, I’ve seen firsthand what makes him such a great coach – tremendous knowledge of the game, passion, and work ethic. I’m excited for our coaches and players to be able to learn from him and see it for themselves.”
Fangio first began his NFL coaching in 1986 as a linebackers coach for Jim Mora and the Saints. He’s been a defensive coordinator for six different teams (before the Eagles) and was Denver’s head coach from 2019-21.