The Carolina Panthers are talking to more than just head coaching candidates at the moment.
After we learned of their request to speak with New York Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel about their defensive coordinator job, the Panthers have—according to Joe Person of The Athletic—already interviewed Vic Fangio for the position. Person was first with the news late Sunday night.
Panthers interviewed ex-Broncos coach Vic Fangio for their defensive coordinator position, per league sources.
Fangio has been mentioned as possible DC for Sean Payton, but pairing the longtime NFL def coord. with a young, offensive coach like Ben Johnson also could be an option.— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 16, 2023
The 64-year-old has experience in the NFL dating back to 1986, when he served as a linebackers coach for the New Orleans Saints. Fangio, funnily enough, then moved on to be the first defensive coordinator for the Panthers from 1995 to 1998.
He’d go on to serve in the same post with four other teams since then—the Indianapolis Colts (1999-2001), the Houston Texans (2002-2005), the San Francisco 49ers (2011-2014) and the Chicago Bears (2015-2018).
In 2019, Fangio was hired as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, going 19-30 over a three-season span. He’s currently a defensive consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles.
