The Arizona Republic

Broncos’ Fangio hasn’t had to face any problem with race

- Greg Moore

Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio opened himself up to a stampede of criticism by saying he doesn’t see racism in the NFL.

“We’re a league of meritocrac­y. You earn what you get, you get what you earn,” the 62-year-old white man said Tuesday. “I don’t see racism at all in the NFL. I don’t see discrimina­tion in the NFL.”

He trotted that back Wednesday, saying “I realize that what I said regarding racism and discrimina­tion in the NFL was wrong. While I have never personally experience­d those terrible things first-hand ... I understand that many players, coaches and staff have different perspectiv­es.”

He added later, “I wanted to make the point yesterday that there is no color within the locker rooms I have been in or on the playing fields I have coached on.”

He still doesn’t get it.

I don’t know Vic Fangio, but it’s clear that he needs to be educated about the experience of black men in his profession,

and I’m hopeful that this represents a respectful attempt.

He clearly needs to know more about what other people go through; I’m frustrated and angry that it’s gotten to this point.

Vic Fangio and all of the people around him need to know that if he were a black man, he wouldn’t be a head coach in the NFL. His own career shows he would never have had the opportunit­y.

Vic Fangio doesn’t see a problem with race because he doesn’t have a problem with race.

Carolina and Indianapol­is

Fangio has had a long and successful career as an assistant coach in the NFL.

He was a defensive coordinato­r in Carolina for four seasons, starting in 1995.

In that time, the Panthers won their division and reached the NFC title game following the 1996 season. It was their only winning record. Carolina went 7-9 twice and bottomed out at 412.

Fangio’s head coach was Dom Capers. The offensive coaches on staff when Fangio was there were Gil Haskell and Joe Pendry.

All these men are white.

So were the first two quarterbac­ks on their depth chart every season.

Pretty odd coincidenc­e given the prepondera­nce of black talent on the field year in and year out.

Maybe the 30-34 tenure was an aberration. After all, the defenses were pretty good. Can’t pin that all on Fangio.

Let’s look at his next stop, Indianapol­is, where he coached under Jim Mora and alongside offensive coordinato­r Tom Moore for three seasons, starting in 1999.

They started strong, going 13-3 that first season. They went 10-6 the next season. Each year, the Colts lost their first playoff game. Their final season together, they went 6-10.

Their quarterbac­ks were Peyton Manning, Steve Walsh and Mark Rypien.

The quarterbac­ks coach was Bruce Arians.

All these men are white.

The next year, Tony Dungy, Ron Meeks and Jim Caldwell joined the Colts staff.

All these men are black.

Dungy, the head coach, retained offensive coordinato­r Tom Moore and replaced Arians with Caldwell.

They started off 10-6 and never lost more than four games in a season over the next seven years. From 2002 to 2008, the Colts went 85-27 and won a Super Bowl.

It was 10 wins, 12 wins, 12 wins, 14 wins, 12 wins, 13 wins, 12 wins.

Then, when Caldwell took over for Dungy in 2009 the Colts were 14-2 and went to a another Super Bowl.

Meeks never did get an NFL head coaching job. Dungy and Caldwell are out of the NFL.

Arians, Moore and Fangio all have jobs.

Houston, Chicago and Denver

Let’s look at Fangio’s next stop, Houston.

He coached under Dom Capers, and alongside Joe Pendry and Chris Palmer. All these men are white and their tenure was an abject failure.

In four seasons, they never went better than 7-9. Their record was 18-46.

Things went great for Fangio at his next stop in San Francisco. He coached under Jim Harbaugh and alongside Greg Roman.

All these men are white.

They went to three NFC title games and a Super Bowl.

His quarterbac­k for much of that time was Colin Kaepernick, who is black.

Fangio ran the defense in Chicago for four seasons starting in 2015.

He coached under John Fox and Matt Nagy and alongside Adam Gase, Dowell Loggains and Mark Helfrich.

His quarterbac­ks were Matt Barkley, Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, Chase Daniel, Mike Glennon, Brian Hoyer and Mitchell Trubisky.

All these men are white.

Fangio became head coach of the Denver Broncos last season, replacing a black man, Vance Joseph.

Joseph was fired after going 6-10. Fangio went 7-9.

His top assistants were Rich Scangarell­o and Ed Donatell.

Sigh.

All of these men are white.

Perhaps, Vic Fangio looks at this and sees a coincidenc­e.

But we can say for certain that if he doesn’t see a problem with diversity in the NFL, that’s reasonable.

Over his 25-year career as a high-level coach in profession­al football, there hasn’t been any diversity around for him to see.

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 ?? NAM Y. HUH/AP ?? Bears head coach Matt Nagy, right, listens to defensive coordinato­r Vic Fangio during minicamp on April 19, 2018, in Lake Forest, Ill.
NAM Y. HUH/AP Bears head coach Matt Nagy, right, listens to defensive coordinato­r Vic Fangio during minicamp on April 19, 2018, in Lake Forest, Ill.

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