The genius of Vic Fangio is apparent, but how to explain it? In his 39th season of coaching, including 26 as a defensive coordinator, Fangio is an expert at moving the right pieces into the right places and designing a defense that fits just right.
His work with the Eagles is a conversation unto itself, and as the team embarks on a new season and the same goal, the defense is front and center in the chatter. What can we expect from the defense with so many new faces? How will Fangio integrate new starters at all three levels of the defense?
"I look at this year, very similar to last year in that at this time last year, we had a lot of turnover in personnel from the previous year. I look at us really basically the same one year to the next. The names have changed. Hopefully we'll get the same results from these new guys that we got from a lot of the new guys last year," Fangio said in June.
The point is, the NFL is about change and evolution. Nobody handles that better than Fangio, who led a defense in 2024, one with so much change and uncertainty entering the season, all the way to No. 1 in the rankings with a Super Bowl title win to celebrate.
Those who play for Fangio love him, trust him, and listen to everything he tells them to do.
"I'll do anything for him," edge player Nolan Smith said. "He knows how to bring out the best in me and I know he's doing what he's doing to make me productive. We all know that he has the entire defense's best interests in mind."
Linebacker Zack Baun is the quintessential Fangio success story. Signed by the Eagles in the 2024 offseason after four seasons in New Orleans, where he hadn't found real footing, Baun became an off-ball linebacker here and thrived. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and was a finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.
Baun understands the value of a coordinator who plays to the best interests of the athlete.
"He knows what you do well and he puts you in the best positions to help the defense," Baun said. "It sounds simple, but it isn't. He has an understanding of the big picture and how you fit in. You have to trust in his vision and we do."