Bears’ Fangio to coach Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Forget RPOs. John Elway is going with AARP.

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, 60, indicated on Wednesday that he had accepted Elway’s offer to become the Denver Broncos’ next head coach, according to the Associated Press. .

Fangio replaces Vance Joseph, who was fired on New Year’s Eve after posting the franchise’s first back-to-back losing seasons since the early 1970s.

Fangio and Elway, who turns 59 this summer, will make up one of the oldest coach-GM duos in the NFL in 2019.

Although Fangio, who turns 61 in August, has no NFL head coaching experience, he has been an assistant for 32 years in the NFL and 34 seasons overall, beginning with the Philadelphia Stars of the old USFL in 1984.

Just like former Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Fangio relates to players less than half his age and commands a deep respect in the locker room.

“You’re talking about one of the best coaches in football,” Bears star edge rusher Khalil Mack said recently, dubbing Fangio “the evil genius himself.”

Elway said when he began his search for his fourth head coach in six seasons that he values experience but also recognizes the need to modernize the Broncos’ offensive and defensive schemes to keep up with the run-pass option craze that has swept through the NFL and rendered traditional systems antiquated.

Elway didn’t believe that innovation necessitated a young up-andcoming head coach, however. So instead of going with a fresh-faced offensive-minded novice in the mold of the Rams’ Sean McVay, he zeroed in on the grizzled gridiron lifer who’s more like Elway’s first head coaching hire, John Fox, or even the Chiefs’ Andy Reid.

Joseph was also a firsttime head coach with deep defensive roots, but he lacked the lengthy resume Fangio brings.

Whereas Joseph had just one year of experience as a coordinator with the Dolphins, Fangio brings 19 years of coordinating experience for the Panthers, Colts, Texans, 49ers and Bears.