What kind of defense does Vic Fangio run? (Hint: You might have seen it today)

http://www.49erswebzone.com/commentary/907-what-defense-fangio-hint-might-have-seen-today/

There is a lot of speculation out there that Vic Fangio will be the new defensive coordinator for the 49ers. It's a move that makes a lot of sense: Fangio has a quarter century of experience coaching defense. He coached in both the USFL and the NFL on the staffs of Jim Mora and Dom Capers. His foundations in pressure package 3-4 defenses might just be what the 49ers need to move from good to great.

What would a Fangio defense look like? For that we can turn to CheeseheadTV.com. The site posted an in-depth look at Capers' Cover 7 in advance of the Packers-Eagles game. (LINK)

It's a really detailed, but excellent, article on the various packages Capers uses to flex his personnel. Interesting to note, the Cover 7 employs a lot of man-to-man coverage on the outside, something the 49ers did not employ often last season. The 49ers preferred to play zones underneath, which is one of the reasons Sam Bradford was so effective on underneath routes.

In any event, give the article a read and let me know your thoughts.

Think he sounds like logical choice. I just wonder what went wrong for him when he.coached in Indy

Fangio sounds like the Jimmy Raye of DC's.

Originally posted by susweel:
Fangio sounds like the Jimmy Raye of DC's.

My memory is fading, but I think he was with the Saints when their linebackers terrorized our offense namely Steve Young. I think their whole LB core went to the Probowl and the guy in charge of them was Fangio.

Yea..... I remember the name from the saints , He had Rickey Jackson-Pat swilling-sam mills....and .....humm....Vaughn??? I dont remember the other guy but he was solid too.

I dont know how good of a coach he was, he did have 4 pro-bowlers at linebacker...but the combo was outright deadly....

Honestly, I'd prefer to have Manusky at DC for another year, and hire Fangio as the LB/Asst. HC. If Manusky doesn't improve the secondary and pass rush, you can easily fire him for Fangio.

DC: Manusky
DL: Tomsula
LB: Fangio, Tarver
DB: Joseph, ???

Originally posted by GEEK:
Honestly, I'd prefer to have Manusky at DC for another year, and hire Fangio as the LB/Asst. HC. If Manusky doesn't improve the secondary and pass rush, you can easily fire him for Fangio.

DC: Manusky
DL: Tomsula
LB: Fangio, Tarver
DB: Joseph, ???

I would like to see Manusky return as well.

Manusky return? No thanks

Opps!

Originally posted by Dshearn:
Yea..... I remember the name from the saints , He had Rickey Jackson-Pat swilling-sam mills....and .....humm....Vaughn??? I dont remember the other guy but he was solid too.

I dont know how good of a coach he was, he did have 4 pro-bowlers at linebacker...but the combo was outright deadly....

Vaughan Johnson. Man I hated those guys. They were a terror to our offense. Them and Bobby Heber (sp?) at QB . Not that he was great but I remember them giving the 'niners fits. Even when Rickey Jackson came to the 49ers I had a tough time liking him, but the guy could rush the passer. Be nice if Fangio could transform Brooks, Gibson, Bowman and Willis into that squad. (Spikes too of course)

Originally posted by backontop:
Manusky return? No thanks

Exactly....tired of seeing such a bland and vanilla 3-4 that rarely never blitzes and plays too much zone....same D the last 5 years...it needs a shot of adrenaline.

Originally posted by ninerlifer:

Originally posted by backontop:
Manusky return? No thanks

Exactly....tired of seeing such a bland and vanilla 3-4 that rarely never blitzes and plays too much zone....same D the last 5 years...it needs a shot of adrenaline.

Originally posted by susweel:
Fangio sounds like the Jimmy Raye of DC's.

lol

im gonna have to disagree with that

Quote:
January 9, 2011

Fangio, Capers have similar 3-4 origins

Anyone wondering what a 49ers defense might look like under Vic Fangio -- assuming the Stanford defensive coordinator joins Jim Harbaugh in Santa Clara - ought to hit re-wind on today's Green Bay Packers game. Fangio and Green Bay's defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, have a long history together. Fangio twice has served as Capers' defensive coordinator when Capers was head coach in Carolina and Houston.

The two started coaching professional football together under Jim Mora for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the USFL. That team's famed "Doghouse Defense" blitzed often and was one of the first to bring pass rushers from an array of angles. Many of the blitzes Capers uses today had their origins in the USFL 25 years ago and the experience influenced both men. The Stars appeared in all three of the league's championship games and won two of them.

When the USFL folded, Mora was hired as the Saints head coach. Fangio followed him to New Orleans where he coached linebackers. The Saints initially used a 4-3 defense but eventually turned to a 3-4 system that featured the "Dome Patrol" - a fearsome linebacking corps that included All-Pro linebackers Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, Sam Mills and Vaughan Johnson. (Incidentally, where have all the good nicknames gone?)

Fangio was Mora's defensive coordinator in Indianapolis from 1999-2001. Mora was fired after the 2001 season in part because he refused to fire Fangio after the defense finished 29th in the league. (More rankings below). The next season Fangio was hired by Capers as his defensive coordinator in Houston.

Fangio has operated both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes but, like Capers, he seems to prefer the latter. Last year he took over Stanford's wobbly 4-3 system, transformed it into a 3-4 (the Cardinal actually played out of both formations at times) and allowed opponents 17.8 points per game this past season, the best average in the Pac-10 and 11th in the nation.

And, of course, Fangio would take over a 3-4 defense should he join the 49ers. The team's current defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky, interviewed for the Panthers head coaching job on Saturday.

Fangio spent 11 NFL seasons as a defensive coordinator. The Panthers and Texans were expansion teams when he joined them. Here are the respective rankings of Fangio's defenses.

Carolina
1995: 7th
1996: 10th
1997: 15th
1998: 30th (last in the league)

Indianapolis
1999: 15th
2000: 21st
2001: 29th

Houston
2002: 16th
2003: 31st
2004: 23rd
2005: 31st

Monday: 3-4 or 4-3; What should the 49ers run?

-- Matt Barrows

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2011/01/fangio-capers-h.html#ixzz1AbkSf7v3