Jan. 20--New Bears coach John Fox continued to set up his staff Tuesday morning, receiving word from Vic Fangio that he will be the defensive coordinator.
A person with knowledge of the situation indicated an agreement is in place, but no contract was finalized by 10 a.m. CBS Sports first reported the agreement
It appears Fangio was Fox's first choice for the job. Fox hosted Fangio's interview at Halas Hall on Saturday within 24 hours of finalizing his contract to become the Bears' head coach.
Fangio, 56, coordinated the 49ers' defense for the last four seasons. That unit ranked in the NFL's top five in total defense each year, even in 2014 despite extensive personnel issues due to injury and disciplinary reasons.
Although Fangio's recent background is rooted in the 3-4 front with the Ravens and 49ers, Fox said Monday he isn't as set on running a specific type of front as he is maximizing players' abilities.
"To the defensive question, with your 3-4, 4-3, spending 25 years in this league as a head coach or a defensive coach, I think sometimes maybe on the outside more is made of that than reality," Fox said. "We're going to our players in the best position for them to have success and that's how we're going to earn their respect moving forward because they know we can help that. Whether that's a 3-4 or 4-3 has not been determined yet."
Fangio, who also interviewed for the Redskins' vacancy over the weekend, inherits a defense that has come undone in each of the last two seasons. In 2013, the Bears allowed more points than any team in franchise history. Last season, they ranked second in that category despite a concerted offseason effort to fortify the defensive line.
