The Pro Football Writers of America has selected Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as the winner of the 2026 Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award.
Fangio is the 28th recipient of the Dr. Z Award, which the PFWA instituted in 2014.
The Dr. Z Award is awarded for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. The award is named for Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated‘s lead pro football writer.
Other 2026 finalists for the Dr. Z Award were retired offensive position coach/coordinator Terry Robiskie and the late defensive line coach John Teerlinck.
Fangio completed his second season as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and his 39th NFL season overall in 2025. He has coached five Pro Football Hall of Famers — Kevin Greene, Rickey Jackson, Ray Lewis, Sam Mills and Patrick Willis — and was selected as the PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018.
