SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday, three days after the team’s 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Kyle Shanahan, who is set to return for his eighth season as San Francisco’s head coach, announced the decision to move on after one year with Wilks in charge of the defense. Shanahan called it a “really tough decision” but said he wants to find a coordinator who was a better scheme fit for the defensive talent on the roster.
“We felt pretty strongly that this was the decision that was best for our organization,” he said. “Even though it was one I didn’t want to make, it was something that once I realized that a different direction was what’s best for our organization, it’s something that I have to do.”
Shanahan hired Wilks after losing DeMeco Ryans, who was hired as head coach of the Houston Texans after helping San Francisco field the top defense in the NFL in 2022. Shanahan wanted to keep the same system that had been successful, and Wilks had the difficult task of trying to add his own wrinkles to an unfamiliar scheme.
“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.”
The results were mixed during the regular season. Wilks was forced to move from the booth to the field after a three-game losing streak in October, and San Francisco’s production on defense dropped marginally in the regular season.
More serious trouble arose in the postseason, with the run defense getting gashed by the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the team’s first two games of this year’s playoffs — but San Francisco rallying in the second half both times — and coaches and players questioning the effort given. The 49ers then came up short defensively down the stretch against the Chiefs as Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to its third NFL title in the past five seasons.
After holding Kansas City to six points on the first nine possessions in the Super Bowl, the 49ers allowed two touchdowns and two field goals on the Chiefs’ final four drives, including overtime. Defensive end Nick Bosa said after the game that the team was unprepared for Mahomes to keep the ball on key runs that led to first downs on the winning drive.
The 49ers were the first team to fire an offensive or defensive coordinator after losing the Super Bowl since the Atlanta Falcons fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith after blowing a 28-3 lead to lose 35-28 in overtime to the New England Patriots at Super Bowl LI in 2017. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons in that game and left to take over in San Francisco after the loss.
Wilks’ background was in the secondary after the previous two coordinators in San Francisco had been linebackers coaches, and Shanahan said the 49ers struggled to tie together the defensive backfield with the front seven this season.
Shanahan said he will look at internal and external candidates to find a replacement. He said he is willing to consider a coordinator who will bring in a new system but believes the current scheme is probably best for the player personnel he has.
“When you have a group of guys who have played at a high level doing certain things a specific way for a while, I do feel that’s the best thing to do for them,” he said. “But if I find something that I believe in, that I can be sold on that could be a better avenue, I would never hesitate to do that.”
The staff will have several other changes, with at least four assistants getting hired away by other teams.
Two are going to the Washington Commanders — Anthony Lynn, who was running backs coach in San Francisco, will be the run game coordinator in his new job, while Darryl Tapp goes from assistant defensive line coach to defensive line coach — while passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak will become offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and assistant offensive line coach James Cregg will become offensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.