In this July 30, 2011, file photo, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio gestures during NFL football training camp in Santa Clara.
Ben Margot, Stf / APA formerSan Francisco 49ersdefensive coordinator won’t be their next defensive coordinator.
Vic Fangio, 64, the former Broncos head coach who had a wildly successful tenure with the 49ers in the Jim Harbaugh era, agreed to become the Dolphins defensive coordinator Thursday, ESPN reported. Fangio was a candidate to fill the 49ers’ opening after premature reports emerged last Sunday that Miami had made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator.
Fangio oversaw units that ranked among the NFL’s top five in total defense in each season of his four-year tenure with the 49ers (2011-14). Fangio, whose girlfriend lives in the Bay Area, attended a few 49ers offseason practices last year after his three-year run as Denver’s head coach ended after the 2021 season.
Fangio runs a 3-4 base defense, which varies from the 49ers’ 4-3 scheme, but that wasn’t viewed as an issue in his candidacy due to his pedigree and the adaptability of his system. That said, head coach Kyle Shanahan stressed continuity Wednesday when discussing the search for a replacement for defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who became the Texans head coach Tuesday.
Shanahan said the 49ers’ current players “fit very well” in the 4-3 defense that allowed the fewest points and yards in the NFL in 2022. All-Pro inside linebacker Fred Warner said he’s spoken with Shanahan about the plan to replace Ryans.
“We’ve drafted guys to play in that scheme,” Warner said. “So to completely change the scheme up, we’d have to tear things down and build it back up. So we’re just trying to make it as seamless as possible, I’m assuming.”
The 49ers have requested interviews with former Panthers interim coach and Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, 53, and Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris, 40. Shanahan said they will consider internal candidates, but that group does not include defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, a league source said Friday. CBS Sports reported on Thursday that Kocurek would interview for the opening.
Bosa’s dip:All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa had 17.5 sacks and 42 quarterback hits in his first 14 games. And he finished with one sack and seven QB hits in his final five games, including three playoff contests.
Asked about the late-season decline in numbers, the presumptive NFL Defensive Player of the Year said he was still making an impact.
“I think you kind of get comfortable seeing sacks on the stat sheet every week,” Bosa said. “But a lot of the time, the impact of a game, there’s a lot more to it. Sacks are an important stat and a great stat. There’s a lot more to playing football. I didn’t change anything. So I’ll keep doing the same things.”
Bosa ranks first in franchise postseason history with eight sacks, which he collected in his first six playoff games. He didn’t have a sack this past postseason.
Eric Branch covers the 49ers for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch
