ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Despite the temperture skyrocketing toward 100 degrees, Vic Fangio strolled out to meet the media on Wednesday afternoon rocking a gray crewneck sweatshirt with Broncos plastered front and center.
It’s safe to say the 60-year old first-time head coach is comfortable in his own skin—heck, maybe it’s air conditioned skin.
For over three decades, Fangio has put together some of the league’s best defenses through a variety of ways such as leading the league in turnovers, points allowed and yards allowed.
But in 2019, for the first time in his life, he’ll be in control of the entire team, meaning he’ll get to put his own unique fingerprint on a team for the very first time.
On the eve of guiding his men onto the field for his first training camp as head coach, and with the Broncos, Fangio detailed what he wants the identity of his team to be.
“A winning identity,” Fangio stated without hesitation. “That’s what we’re here for—we’ve got to win games.”
It’s as simple as that. Anyone that spends mere seconds with Vic understands he’s a no-nonsense type of guy and he’ll always shoot it straight. And he knows John Elway hired him to do one thing—win.
But in order to accomplish that identity, Fangio knows there’s a few other traits his team will need to embrace.
“I’d like for it to be a team that obviously plays hard, plays smart, plays intelligent, plays good in crunch time—in the critical times of the game—knows how to play in situational football,” Fangio expounded. “Those are some of the things.”
All of those traits boil down to one thing: Football intelligence.
Other answers likely heard around the league over the next week could have circled around being tough, physical, aggressive or fast.
Sure, Vic wants all of those qualities entrenched in his team, but he doesn’t want those to be the face of his team.
Despite being a long-time defensive coach who loves the physicality of the game, he isn’t seeking a team full of meatheads looking to intimidate their opponent by their aggression.
Nope, the Godfather, as he’s been referred to by his players, is looking for his team to outsmart their opponents.
But in the end, Fangio wants his team to have one identity: Winning.
