Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is out of a job, as the San Francisco 49ers let him go on Wednesday, following their Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs three days earlier.
Wilks, 54, is a respected football coach who has been in the NFL for over two decades. He has coached some of the best defenses in the league, such as the Carolina Panthers in 2017 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He has also mentored some of the top defensive players in the game, such as Luke Kuechly, Patrick Peterson, and Nick Bosa.
Steve Wilks was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator in January 2023, replacing DeMeco Ryans who left to become the Houston Texans’ head coach. He did a decent job with the 49ers defense, leading them to rank eighth in total yards allowed and 10th in points allowed.
He also helped the 49ers reach their second consecutive Super Bowl, where they faced the Kansas City Chiefs. However, they failed to stop the Chiefs’ explosive offense during the Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, allowing for a 25-22 defeat.
Three days after the Super Bowl loss, the 49ers announced that they had fired Wilks, shocking many sports fans and analysts. Even ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said that he was “disgusted” by the 49ers firing Wilks, and that the coordinator deserved better.
San Francisco 49ers’ Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that it was a tough decision, but he felt that it was the best for the organization. He also said that it was not a reflection of Wilks as a man or a football coach, but rather a matter of scheme and fit.
As of the time of writing, Shanahan has not named a replacement for Steve Wilks.
