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Defensive Coaching Trees

Concept
Tap a coach to open their branch · hover for a quick take
  • Vic FangioVic FangioEagles DC · two-high defense3

    The architect of the modern defense that took over the NFL — two deep safeties, a light box, and heavy disguise. His unit led the league when the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX.

    View Vic Fangio's page →
    • Brandon StaleyBrandon StaleySaints DC · ex-Chargers HC

      A Fangio disciple who head-coached the Chargers and now runs New Orleans' defense.

      View Brandon Staley's page →
    • Ejiro EveroEjiro EveroPanthers DC

      Came up under Fangio; now one of the more respected defensive coordinators in the league with Carolina.

      View Ejiro Evero's page →
    • Sean DesaiSean DesaiBengals senior defensive assistant

      Spent years alongside Fangio in Chicago; has coordinated defenses for the Eagles and now works in Cincinnati.

Coach photos via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Defensive Coaching Trees

Offensive trees decide how your skill players get used. Defensive trees matter in a different way for fantasy: they shape which offenses sputter, and how much a team defense (DST) is worth. Here are the families that define modern NFL defense.

The Vic Fangio tree — light boxes and two deep safeties

This is the defense that took over the NFL in the early 2020s. Vic Fangio spent decades as a coordinator and a few years as the Broncos' head coach, and his system is now everywhere.

  • The style: two-high safeties, a light box, very little blitzing, and heavy disguise — the same pre-snap picture hiding many different coverages. It takes away the deep ball and forces offenses to be patient and methodical.
  • What it means for fantasy: Fangio defenses suppress explosive plays, so opposing receivers see fewer big games. They don't generate a ton of sacks or takeaways on their own, so the team-defense upside is modest unless there's an elite pass rush attached. They tend to funnel offenses into short throws to backs and tight ends.
  • Who runs it now: Fangio himself coordinates the Eagles' defense (his unit was number one when Philadelphia won Super Bowl LIX). Disciples include Ejiro Evero in Carolina and Brandon Staley in New Orleans.

The Wink Martindale tree — bring everybody

The opposite of Fangio. Wink Martindale built his name in Baltimore running the most aggressive defense in football.

  • The style: blitz-heavy, man-coverage pressure. His Ravens blitzed more than any team in the league three years running.
  • What it means for fantasy: boom-or-bust team defenses — more sacks and turnovers, but also more big plays given up. Man coverage can be torched by elite number-one receivers and by mobile quarterbacks who escape the rush. As of 2026 he's coaching in college (Michigan), so this is more a style than a deep, active NFL tree.

The Steve Spagnuolo tree — exotic pressure

Steve Spagnuolo has been Kansas City's defensive coordinator since 2019 and is the only coordinator in NFL history with four Super Bowl rings.

  • The style: disguised, simulated pressures and creative blitz designs, descended from the legendary Eagles blitz schemes of Jim Johnson.
  • What it means for fantasy: sack and turnover upside for the Chiefs defense in good years, with some big-play risk attached.

The Ravens / Mike Macdonald style — the new hybrid

Mike Macdonald came up in Baltimore under John Harbaugh and built a defense that blends Fangio's two-high ideas with aggressive, disguised pressure. His 2023 Ravens were the first defense ever to lead the league in points allowed, sacks, and takeaways. He's now the head coach in Seattle — and his defense carried the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX win over New England in the 2025 season. A young, rising style worth watching.

The Belichick defensive influence

The biggest defensive family of all runs through Bill Belichick — multiple fronts, situational game-planning, and "take away what you do best." Because it's so large and tied to his offense too, it has its own page: see the Belichick Coaching Tree.

Where these trees are today (2026)

Related: Coaching Trees · Belichick Coaching Tree · The West Coast Offense