On Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the San Francisco 49ers are interviewing Kansas City
Chiefs defensive backs coach David Merritt for the vacant defensive coordinator position.
Merritt, a veteran assistant to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, has vast coaching experience and has
been in his present position with Kansas City since 2019.
Merritt, 52, has been much more than a defensive backs coach; after a brief time as an NFL linebacker, he started as
an outside linebackers coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1997.
From then, he worked as a defensive ends, defensive line, linebackers, quality control, and secondary coach until
becoming the defensive backs coach in his current capacity.
Merritt has won five Super Bowls, three with the Chiefs and two as an assistant on the New York Giants staff from
2001 to 2017.
Merritt has helped numerous defensive backs develop into starters, including 2020 fourth-round pick L’Jarius Sneed
and rookie cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams.
Merritt previously coached Chiefs defensive back Tyrann Mathieu and Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker in
2018.
During his stint with the Giants, Merritt coached multiple Pro Bowlers, including All-Pro safety Antrel Rolle, safety
Landon Collins, and cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins.
In addition to requesting an interview with Merritt, the 49ers interviewed defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks for
the same open defensive coordinator post today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 49ers are mandated by the Rooney Rule to interview at least two external minority candidates as part of their
defensive coordinator search, but general manager John Lynch has confirmed that San Francisco will show real
interest in all of their interviewers.
“We won’t just check a box with that,” Lynch said of the interviews with external minority candidates. “This is an
opportunity. Perhaps there is a candidate out there who will blow us away.
