It’s a “Bittersweet” Goodbye from Matt Nagy, As Vic Fangio’s Move to Denver Becomes Officially Official
Reaching head coach status in the NFL has been a long time coming for Vic Fangio. But sometimes good things are worth the wait, and I certainly believe that Chicago’s loss is Denver’s gain.
Clearly, Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy thinks so, too: “I want to congratulate Vic on his opportunity of becoming a head coach in the NFL. There are only 32 of these jobs in the world and I know what it means to him to get his chance in Denver,” Nagy said in a statement released by the team announcing Fangio’s departure. “I also want to thank him for all his help in my first season with the Chicago Bears. It is bittersweet to move on, but he has more than earned this opportunity and I could not be happier for him.”
There’s no turning back now, folks:
OFFICIAL: We’ve agreed to terms with Vic Fangio as head coach.
⁰Welcome to #BroncosCountry, Coach!📰 » https://t.co/jkqxwvfUrI pic.twitter.com/DbGN1pzkNX
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 10, 2019
It’s officially official. The Denver Broncos have hired Vic Fangio to be their head coach. It’s a sound hire of a deserving candidate. Fangio inherited a historically bad defense from Mel Tucker when he and John Fox took over in Chicago and rebuilt it into the league’s top scoring defense four years later. This wasn’t the first sign of Fangio’s defensive wizardry, as he has been coaching in the NFL for more than 30 years. But Fangio finally received a fair shake in the interview process and took advantage of the opportunity in front of him.
There is no shortage of players, coaches, and executives who would vouch for Fangio at the drop of a hat. That includes Bears GM Ryan Pace, who interviewed Fangio for the Bears head-coach opening last year and saw the DC thrive under two head coaches.
Bears GM Ryan Pace statement on Vic Fangio becoming head coach of the Denver Broncos: pic.twitter.com/9I6ObSsuOV
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 10, 2019
Khalil Mack called Vic Fangio an "evil genius." (h/t @kfishbain) pic.twitter.com/2gner8Fij4
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 9, 2019
League source on #Broncos hiring Fangio: "Great. Smart and prepared. Big loss for Chicago."
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) January 9, 2019
And sometimes, emojis speak louder than words:
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) January 9, 2019
— Adrian Amos (@_SmashAmos31) January 9, 2019
Hey, we always had a feeling he would look good in blue and orange:
In case anyone wanted to know what Vic Fangio looks like in a shirt/tie and not a gray Bears sweatsuit pic.twitter.com/qgbu4q02tV
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) January 10, 2019
Godspeed, Vic. We wish you the best of luck. Well, except for when the Bears and Broncos square off next year. 😉😜😘
