KEY POINT – Coach Kyle Shanahan is making his fourth defensive coordinator move in five years, announcing Wednesday that he fired Steve Wilks after one season.Wilks was hired a year ago to replace DeMeco Ryans, who left to coach the Houston Texans after two seasons as defensive coordinator. Ryan replaced Robert Saleh, who was Shanahan’s first defensive coordinator and just finished his third season as coach of the New York Jets.”Once I realized the other direction was best, I had to do it,” Shanahan said at a media conference an hour after Wilks was relieved of his role.Shanahan said the team is considering both internal and external candidates, noting that all the remaining defensive backs have ”
a chance,” including Kris Kocurek (defensive line), Daniel Bullocks (secondary), Johnny Holland (offensive line) and Nick . Sorensen (running specialist).Wilks came on board after going 6-6 as interim coach of the Carolina Panthers after being promoted from defensive pass specialist. His tenure with the 49ers appeared to be in jeopardy when Shanahan removed him from the coaching booth after a three-game losing streak.Wilks’ firing came three days after Super Bowl LVIII, when the 49ers allowed a game-winning drive in overtime in a 25-
22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs..Last week before the Super Bowl, Wilks highlighted his team’s strong performances in the second half of games that gave the 49ers a chance to come back against the Packers and Lions.”Anyone can sit on the Internet on Monday and make these changes,” Wilks said last Thursday. “The bigs have been doing that all game and we’
ve been able to do that this season.”Those comments came before the 49ers defense allowed 16 second-half points in the Super Bowl to the Chiefs and frequent return man Patrick Mahomes before that overtime misses.“That says nothing about Steve as a man or a football coach. “He’s exactly what we wanted in a guy and he’s a great football coach,” Shanahan said. “But just where we’re going and where we’re at with our team from a schematic standpoint and year-to-year, it’s the best decision for our organization.Shanahan didn’t give Wilks a glowing endorsement on Tuesday year. -end press conference , but said he still needed to talk to him. The conversation broke off Wednesday morning..
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