Miami Dolphins pass game coordinator Renaldo Hill reveals Vic Fangio’s edge against opposing offenses

Vic Fangio brings 24 years of NFL coaching experience to the Miami Dolphins.

• By
  
  Jake Mendel
  
• on June 14, 2023 9:53 pm

The Miami Dolphins announced Vic Fangio as the team’s defensive coordinator in the middle of April. The former coach of the Denver Broncos brings 24 years of NFL coaching experience to South Florida — along with some hefty expectations.

Fangio’s defensive prowess is well-established, as his teams have consistently ranked in the top 10 in points and yardage allowed. In 2018, as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, he built a unit ranked first in points allowed and first in rush yards allowed.

Renaldo Hill was hired as Miami’s pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach shortly after Fangio joined the team. During his 10 years as a player, Hill played for the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Dolphins and Broncos.

Hill returns to the team for a second stint after being hired as an assistant defensive backs coach under Adam Gase in 2018. In fact, it’s his second time working with Vic Fangio after being hired as Denver’s defensive backs coach in 2019.

Meeting with the media last week, Hill explained what it is like to work with Fangio and the small details that make him one of the league’s top defensive minds.

“I think the biggest thing with Vic is he’s strong in his convictions,” Hill said. “It’s worked over time. He knows where the trouble shoots are at, he knows how the teams are trying to attack him. I think he’s always looking to move the down around and help our guys and making sure that even though we have a talented group that no one feels that stress just for the whole game.

“The other thing with Vic is he’s always not looking to stay stagnant. He’s always looking to what’s the next thing, what’s the next thing in the NFL. How it changes from our scheme, and how we can incorporate our scheme to make it better each year. Those are important things that I learned over time is to just make sure that you’re staying ahead of the curve in this league because it’s forever changing, and you just don’t want to be that system that stalls out.”

Hill spent two seasons with the Broncos before serving as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. The former first-team All-big Ten cornerback made his NFL coaching debate in 2015 as a defensive backs coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he’ll serve as Miami’s defensive backs coach, he was also named pass game coordinator.

“It’s challenging every day, but I feel like with us going against these guys in practice every day I don’t think there will be things that will surprise us,” Hill said. “With the multiple things we do offensively it kind of ties into how we want to be defensively being multiple and being able to adjust to different styles of play and I think we get that on a daily.

“It’s a talented group on that offensive side, and we just want to continue to build our defensive side, and get caught up to speed there.”

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