Frank Reich may not be the only man making his return to the Carolina Panthers next season.
As reported by CBS Sports senior NFL insider Josina Anderson on Friday night, a reunion between the Panthers and Vic Fangio is gaining some steam. Fangio served as the franchise’s first-ever defensive coordinator from 1995 to 1998.
I'm told Frank Reich would like to have Vic Fangio join his staff to coordinate the defense; momentum gathering for that hire, per league source.
Could take the #Panthers making Fangio the highest paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 28, 2023
Not so coincidentally, Reich—the first-ever quarterback to start a regular-season game for Carolina—was also on the inaugural 1995 team alongside Fangio. So there is a connection between the head coach and his prospective play caller, albeit a brief one.
Fangio, who has nearly four decades of NFL experience, would go on to serve as a defensive coordinator for four other franchises after his stint in Carolina—with the Indianapolis Colts (1999 to 2001), the Houston Texans (2002 to 2005), the San Francisco 49ers (2011 to 2014) and the Chicago Bears (2015 to 2018).
The 64-year-old’s most recent high-profile job came between 2019 and 2021, as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. In addition to Fangio, the Panthers have also interviewed New York Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel and New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard for the opening.
