Who would the San Francisco 49ers hire as their next defensive coordinator? Head Coach Kyle Shanahan fired Steve
Wilks on Wednesday following only one season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Since 2019, the 49ers’ defense
has been among the best, if not the greatest, in the NFL. And, while the defense was strong at moments this season,
it took a step back in 2023.
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There were games like the one on September 17th against the Los Angeles Rams, when the 49ers surrendered 23
points to a Rams club that lacked wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Then there was the October game at Minnesota, when
the Vikings were without top wide receiver Justin Jefferson, but the 49ers’ defense still allowed 22 points because
they couldn’t figure out how to protect rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison. You may recall Wilks calling a zero blitz
with 17 seconds left in the first half, when the Vikings held the ball on their own 40-yard line. Addison scored a 60-
yard touchdown to give the Vikings the lead heading into halftime.
A week later, the 49ers’ defense suffered their worst performance of the season, giving up 31 points at home to the
Cincinnati Bengals. The Detroit Lions also scored 31 points against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 24 of
which came in the first half. The 49ers defense came alive in the second half, sealing the victory over the Lions. Then
there was the Super Bowl, in which the defense performed admirably until the fourth quarter and overtime.
Are those games Wilks’ fault, or are they a result of the departures of Jimmie Ward, Charles Omenihu, Azeez Al-
Shaair, Emmanuel Moseley, and other key players? It’s certainly a combination of several issues, but the
fundamental issue appears to be that Wilks simply wasn’t the perfect fit for this 49ers defense, and he and Shanahan
weren’t always on the same page.
