In some shocking news, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that he’s relieved defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties. This comes following the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilks spent one season in San Francisco after taking over for DeMeco Ryans, who left to become the Houston Texans’ coach. He did this after taking over for Robert Saleh, who left to become the New York Jets Head Coach.
During an end of season press conference Tuesday, Shanahan said he expected all of his coaching staff to return for 2024. He didn’t announce Wilks’ departure then because he was unsure if they’d part ways.
Shanahan added that it was a tough decision, but said ultimately Wilks’ system didn’t align with what the 49ers had previously used.
“That was the hardest part. I knew that was a challenge,” Shanahan said. “We have committed to not just a system, but the players that have been in the system from our D-line, our linebackers, they played in it for such a long time.
“It was my goal to not have to change all of them and bring in Steve who was unbelievable and how loyal he was and him trying to do it. But it just ended up not being the right fit. It hurt for me to do this but that’s exactly why I had to.”
San Francisco looked really good defensively in the first half last Sunday. They managed to hold Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to just three points.
However, the 49ers struggled to stop the Chiefs offense in the second half and overtime, with Mahomes ultimately leading a 75-yard, 13-play game-winning drive to secure Kansas City’s second straight title. This drive came after Mahomes took them down the field to score a field goal to get the game to overtime.
The 49ers finished the 2022 season as the NFL’s top-ranked defense in both points and yards allowed. While they were still strong in 2023, it slipped to eighth and third in yards and points allowed.
Wilks was the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach for one season in 2018. He was then the Defensive Coordinator/interim coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2022 and spent time with the Cleveland Browns before joining San Francisco.
It will be interesting to see where he goes next. It is also curious if he would have still been fired even if the 49ers win? I doubt it, which makes this move even more wild.
The 49ers will have an interesting offseason after the way their season ended.
Jaden Chandler-Parnell, or “JC” is a Sports & Sports Betting Insider for Stare Down Sports. You can Follow him on X @Jaden95Chandler
Follow Stare Down Sports on X for all of the latest news and updates @StareDownSports
Leave a Reply