The San Francisco 49ers were just one game away from the Super Bowl. Their loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship match took them out, although their offseason started immediately. They are now hiring a new defensive coordinator.
San Francisco had a top unit the last couple of years, but they were obligated to make changes during that time in the staff. The first one to leave was Robert Saleh, the former DC that has been coaching the New York Jets for the last two seasons.
The same path had the 49ers finding someone else in that position again. His job was taken by DeMeco Ryans, who was hired by the Houston Texans last week. Though the front office moved quickly to have a new person in charge of the talented defense.
Who is the new defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers?
There were plenty of possibilities for the team since they have a top defense in the league. Having players like Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead or Fred Warner in the lineup made it easier to find people interested in the position. The choice ended up being someone from outside of the franchise.
The San Francisco 49ers are hiring Steve Wilks as the new defensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. He was the interim coach of the Carolina Panthers after they fired Matt Rhule. Wilks finished the season 6-6 with an unimpressive team, although he couldn’t stay there being one of the finalists to the head coaching job. His experience includes a stint in the Cleveland Browns in that function in 2019.
