Steve Wilks Out: San Francisco 49ers Release D-Coordinator After Super Bowl Loss

Steve Wilks

Kyle Shanahan has fired Steve Wilks, the team’s defensive coordinator. The 49ers coach announced on Wednesday that the exit came within 3 days following the Super Bowl loss.

The head coach announcement regarding Steve Wilks came a day after he announced that he expected every team coach to return to the team. The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory parade after their Super Bowl win also comes on the same day.

At a conference, Shanahan said that Steve Wilks was not the right fit. The coach also said that the 49ers would consider both external and in-house candidates to replace Steve Wilks this year and further.

Steve Wilks came in last season in place of DeMeco Ryans. Ryans left as the Houston Texans head coach. The 49ers defense held the Kansas City Chiefs to a touchdown during regulation time in their ultimate 25-22 loss last Sunday. But he surrendered 455 yards.

The 49ers allowed 17.5 a game, an NFC-low for the main season. The San Francisco team also lost Anthony Lynn. The assistant head coach moved to the Commanders. At the Washington team he will be the run-game coordinator under Dan Quinn, their new head coach.

Steve Wilks Has Been In Charge Of Defense All His Career

Also moving out with Steve Wilks is Klint Kubiak, the passing specialist, who has moved to the Saints. They have taken him on as their new offensive coordinator. The 54-year-old Steve Wilks coached the Cardinals back in 2018 and was also the Carolina Panthers interim coach in 2022. With an overall record of 9-19, he moved from the secondary coach and the passing coordinator to become its head coach following the ouster of Matt Rhule.

He was a defensive coordinator at the Panthers back in 2017 and at the Cleveland Browns two years later in 2019. Throughout a major period of his career, Wilks has been in charge of defense. He began his career with the Washington Commanders secondary team back in 2005 and was also the defensive coach in charge of the Bears from 2006 to 2008. This was followed by his stint at the Chargers and the Panthers.