Shanahan spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon, where he announced Wilks won’t return with the 49ers in 2024
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon, saying, after sleeping on his decision, that he informed defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday morning that Wilks will not return as the defensive coordinator in 2024.
Shanahan said he would look at candidates inside and outside the building. He said that he’d like to retain the system the players have been running in recent years, as that’s what they’ve gotten used to, but is open to running a different scheme if it makes sense:
“I’m committed to try and find what we believe will give the Niners the best chance in 2024. I’m not close-minded in any way.”
Shanahan said one of the biggest issues with Wilks was that he was so committed to running his style, and not what Shanahan wanted, that it made it difficult to adapt.
More on Wilks: “He’s a great football coach. Just where we’re going, where we’re at as a team. Looking through it, this is a decision that was best for our organization. This was something that I have to do. I didn’t let you know yesterday because I wasn’t sure about it. But I am now.”
You can’t watch the Super Bowl and come away thinking that Wilks is a bad coach. He did everything possible to put the 49ers in a position to win. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t good enough.
Now, it’s about finding the right leader:
“When you have some good players who have played at a high level, I’m not just trying to change that. I have to make sure that I find the right person of leading our group.”
That leader better know how to marry the front seven and secondary. When asked if that was a struggle, Shanahan did not shy away from it:
“It has to do with the way we play linebacker and stuff like that—the way Fred and Dre have done it over the years. You want to tie things together. Just with his background, it was harder than it needed to be.”
You could see the writing on the wall during the season. Wilks moved from the booth to the sideline mid-season. The run defense was consistently porous — something this unit has been able to hang its hat on for years. The effort in the NFC Championship was abysmal on a handful of plays. That cannot happen at any level at any time, let alone in the NFC Championship. The final straw was when Shanahan called a timeout in a two-minute situation after surrendering multiple first downs.
Most of Wilks’ in-season press conferences were awkward, and he often apologized for something from the week prior. It’s tough to ignore the disconnect that stared us in the face all season.
Shanahan wouldn’t rule out any in-house replacement like defensive passing game, and nickels coach Nick Sorensen. But if he’s open to someone with more experience and a top-tier resume, a guy like Mike Vrabel should be at the top of the list. It’ll be fascinating to see the direction Shanahan chooses to go, as it’s bound to be the opposite of what he dealt with this past season.
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