One of the most unheralded heroes of the Eagles' Super Bowl run this season was defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Taking over a depleted and dysfunctional defensive unit and turning it into one of the best defenses in the NFL, Fangio now has a chance to win the Super Bowl for the first time in his illustrious career.
The previous time Fangio made it to the Super Bowl was when he was a consultant with the Eagles in 2022. After coming up short against the Chiefs that time around, the 66-year-old coach is hoping for his first win against Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage.
This game also carries a different meaning for Fangio.
Not much of a reach to say that Chiefs OC Matt Nagy has an important role in preparations for the #Eagles defense in Super Bowl LIX, but no one on staff has a greater understanding of Vic Fangio, his scheme and play calling.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 30, 2025
Fangio did remarkable work under Nagy with the Bears,…
Eagles DC Vic Fangio Has Perfect Revenge Opportunity in Super Bowl LIX
Fangio will be going up against Matt Nagy, under whom he worked as a defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears. Nagy is now the Chiefs offensive coordinator and the two coaches have a ton of familiarity with each other.
When Nagy became the Bears' head coach in 2018, Fangio had already been the defensive coordinator there for three seasons. In Nagy's first year in Chicago, Fangio led the Bears to finish as the best defense in the league, helping them to a 12-4 record.
That remarkable defensive performance led Fangio to land the Broncos head coaching job. The Bears never had a winning record since then, as the rest of Nagy's tenure there was a major disappointment. Fangio didn't cover himself in glory in Denver, either. So, both coaches went back to coordinator roles, where they have been thriving ever since.
As Eagles insider Jeff McLane points out, there aren't two coaches who know each other's playbooks as well as Nagy and Fangio. The Eagles will certainly have a few tricks up their sleeves when trying to deal with Mahomes. How the Chiefs counter that will help determine how the Super Bowl LIX will shake out.