John Elway said he wanted a coach with proven “greatness” on one side of the ball, a coach who knows the Xs and Os, a coach who has the “it” factor and a coach who can lead.



He believes he found that in Vic Fangio, the former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator who has 32 years of experience in the NFL. The Broncos reached an agreement with Fangio on a four-year contract with a fifth-year option, making him the 17th head coach in franchise history.



The gig is Fangio’s first as head coach after 19 years of serving as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. The decision, on the surface, may seem perplexing. The Broncos went 11-21 with their last defensive-minded coach that had no previous head-coaching experience. At 60 years old, Fangio is among the oldest head coaches in the league when so many teams are looking to go with younger, offensive coaches or even dive into the pool of college candidates.



But the hire is a signal that...