The San Francisco 49ers have decided to hire recent Carolina Panthers Interim Head Coach, Steve Wilks as their defensive coordinator. Wilks steps into San Fran in place of the recently departed DeMeco Ryans, who landed a head coaching job with the Texans.
The #49ers plan to hire Steve Wilks as their defensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Wilks replaces DeMeco Ryans, who is now the #Texans’ head coach, and lands in an ideal spot. pic.twitter.com/vyOwVu0QPE
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 7, 2023
Wilks takes over arguably the best defense in the NFL, filled with studs in each position group with a linebacking core that includes Fred Warner and Azeez Al-Shaair, a secondary that has young studs such as Talanoa Hufanga and Deommodore Lenoir, and a defensive line that contains multiple All-Pro’s in Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. The 49ers are indeed loaded, and DeMeco Ryans was able to scheme up the perfect game plans to have all of these guys succeed as one elite defensive unit.
Wilks now has the chance to take over this fabulous unit and must keep it at the same elite level to fully succeed and receive a head coaching opportunity shortly. Wilks has had multiple attempts as a defensive coordinator, including leading a top-ten unit in 2017 with the Carolina Panthers.
Speaking of the Panthers, Wilks took over as the team’s interim head coach this past season when the team was an abysmal 1-4, and Wilks successfully led the Panthers to a 7-10 record. The Panthers were just a few wins shy of clinching a playoff berth in a weak NFC South. Regardless of the final result, Wilks should receive much praise for bringing that locker room together and creating a tight bond that led to the team ending the season better than it started.
All in all, this seems like an excellent fit for both sides.
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