Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kyle Madson

49ers, DC Steve Wilks part ways

The 49ers are in the market for a new defensive coordinator. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a conference call announced the team and Steve Wilks parted ways after the 2023 season. The news comes just a day after Shanahan said he expected all of his assistants to be back for the 2024 campaign.

Shanahan expressed a desire to bring in a defensive coordinator more in line philosophically with what San Francisco does on that side of the ball. Since Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over they’ve been a defense predicated on a strong defensive front. Wilks’ background is in the secondary which may be part of the reason the team’s star-studded defensive front struggled at times to generate pressure and stop the run this season.

Their two previous defensive coordinators, Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans, both had backgrounds as linebackers coaches with Ryans learning under Saleh who came from the Pete Carroll defensive coaching tree.

It’s likely the 49ers’ next hire, whether internal or from outside the building, will be of a similar mold.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.