Report: Frank Reich interested in hiring Vic Fangio to Carolina Panthers staff

Not long after being officially announced as Carolina Panthers head coach, Frank Reich could be looking to make a big addition to his staff. Former Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio is reportedly a target to become Carolina’s defensive coordinator.

Reich “would like” to have Fangio on his staff in the role, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported Friday night. Anderson added “momentum [is] gathering” for the hire — and it could take making Fangio the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league to happen.

Fangio last coached in the league with the Broncos, where he served as the head coach from 2019-21. He spent this season as a defensive consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles, who are playing in the NFC Championship this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers.

However, as a defensive coordinator, Fangio was widely respected before landing the Broncos job. He worked for the 49ers from 2011-14 and the Chicago Bears from 2015-18. In his last season with Chicago, the Bears had one of the best defenses in the NFL en route to their lone playoff appearance under Matt Nagy.

Carolina Panthers name former Colts coach Frank Reich as new head coach

The Carolina Panthers are hiring former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich to be the next head coach, the franchise announced on Thursday. The announcement came less than an hour after it was reported that Reich was among the two finalists. The other was interim head coach Steve Wilks.

Reich takes over as the Panthers head coach after a nearly five-year run as the Colts head coach. Previously he was an offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl in 2018.

Reich played in the NFL as a quarterback, spending much of his career as a backup to Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly. After 10 years in Buffalo, he spent one season with the Panthers in 1995 as the first starting quarterback in the history of the franchise, before brief stints with the New York Jets and Detroit Lions to finish his playing career.

Additionally, Reich is the first head coach in franchise history to come from a background of playing and coaching offense. All the pervious coaches, from Dom Capers in 1995 through Matt Rhule and Wilks in 2022, every Panthers head coach had been a defensive coach prior.