It’s awards season in the NFL and, unlike last year, the Philadelphia Eagles have just one contender to be formally recognized by The Associated Press.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is one of five finalists for AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
He’s joined by Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Fangio was egregiously disrespected by the voters last year; he somehow only finished fourth in this category despite overseeing the clear cut best defense in the NFL. It’s especially laughable that he finished behind two other defensive coordinators (Flores and Aaron Glenn).
Fangio followed up a flat out dominant 2024 with a mostly strong 2025. The Eagles’ defense ranked fourth in weighted DVOA, 9th in offensive points allowed, 9th in EPA per play, and 10th in success rate. If you take out Week 18 when the Eagles rested starters, they ranked fifth in offensive points allowed, eighth in EPA per play, and eighth in success rate. Fangio accomplished this despite the fact that the Eagles ranked 30th in cash spending on defense.
The Eagles clearly had some bad games on defense last season; losses to the New York Giants (Week 6) and Chicago Bears stand out in that regard. But much more often than not Fangio’s group carried the weight of the team. Case in point: the Eagles were 2-0 in two games where they failed to complete a pass in the second half. While that’s quite pathetic from an offensive perspective, it speaks to how this Eagles defense was the driving force behind their wins.
Whether Fangio wins this award or not, Eagles fans can feel good knowing their team has one of the best — if not THE best — defensive coordinators in the NFL.
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