Bears hire Vic Fangio as Defensive Coordinator, says report

The Chicago Bears' defenses under coordinator Mel Tucker have been bad. The unit, which was the strength of the team during Lovie Smith's tenure as head coach, finished 30th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed in both 2013 and 2014, a huge drop-off from their top-5 finish in both categories in 2012, Smith's last year in the Windy City.

With John Fox heading up the team following Marc Trestman's departure, he has made a splash hire to lead his defense, nabbing former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio:

Vic Fangio has decided to join John Fox's staff in Chicago. Skins were very interested. Fangio made his decision today

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 20, 2015

Fangio's arrival should be a significant boost to the performance of this unit; in four years with the 49ers, his defenses never finished lower than 5th in yards allowed and were top-ten in points allowed each season. In fact, 2014's injury-riddled year was the only time in that span that the 49ers were outside the top three in points allowed, finishing tenth.

Popular belief among NFL writers and Bears players also holds that Fangio's hiring will be a big step in restoring Chicago's dominant defense:

We got Fangio???? Niiiiiice!

— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) January 20, 2015

Bears go from Mel Tucker to Vic Fangio. That, folks, is what is known as a monstrous upgrade.

— Doug Farrar (@SI_DougFarrar) January 20, 2015

The Packers should have at least some familiarity with Fangio's style. They played the 49ers four times (including two playoff games) between 2012 and 2013, and he was Dom Capers' defensive coordinator when the current Packers' DC was the head coach in Carolina and Houston.