In the wake of the team’s Super Bowl loss, 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was dismissed. That has created the lone coordinator vacancy remaining in the NFL’s coaching cycle, but the process of filling it is underway. 
Head coach Kyle Shanahan informed NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco that a pair of DC interviews have already taken place. Those initial meetings have been with former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, as well as 49ers defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen. Another internal option – defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks – will likely interview for the position later this week, per Shanahan.
Staley saw his time at the helm of the Chargers come to an end midway through the 2023 campaign. His first HC opportunity did not go according to plan, but his reputation dating back to his time as a position coach and coordinator earned him multiple DC interviews. Staley spoke with the Packers, Rams and Dolphins about their respective vacancies. The San Francisco gig represents the 41-year-old’s final opportunity to land an NFL coordinator position in 2024.
Failing that, Staley could find a role as a position coach on an NFL staff, or he could take on a position in the NCAA ranks (having most recently coached in college during the 2016 campaign). Of course, the former Rams DC could spend a year off the sidelines altogether in a bid to return during the 2025 hiring cycle. San Francisco will also consider in-house options, though.
Sorenson transitioned from playing to coaching over one decade ago, taking his first opportunity with the Seahawks in 2013. He has primarily worked on the defensive side of the ball since then, though his background on special teams landed him the ST coordinator gig with the Jaguars in 2021. After a single season in Jacksonville, the 45-year-old joined the 49ers’ staff. The 2023 campaign was his first in his current capacity.
Bollocks has been in San Francisco since Shanahan’s arrival in 2017. He spent a pair of season as an assistant working with the team’s defensive backs before being promoted to the lead role. After bringing in Wilks from outside the organization, the 49ers could elect to stay in-house with his next hire by promoting one of Bollocks or Sorenson.
Shanahan added that at least two other external candidates are expected to be interviewed in the coming days, though. In all, two minority candidates must be considered to satisfy the Rooney Rule. The 49ers do not have any NFL competition for their DC vacancy, but a decision could be coming soon as the interview process continues.
If they had differences with Wilks, then why not make a change during the season? Sounds like another Kyle excuse for his bad decisions in SB’s.
They were winning, and it’s not exactly easy introducing a new play caller midway through the season. Shanahan had to burn a timeout in the super bowl cause of a bad Wilks call. Dude was not good throughout the whole year, soft coverage on 3rd down hurt that defense all year, badly
I don’t brake down coordinators in season performances, but plenty of teams make in season changes annually. Philly did it for DC call playing as did Carolina at the HC position this year as 2 examples.
If he ‘still soft’ by week 5-8 give or take, make change. Don’t roll with someone you don’t trust. Again another stumble by Kyle.
Kyle’s stumbles would make most coaches careers. He’s doing alright.
He’s lost 3 SB’s. Bet he wishes he had 1 Lombardi to his name. Either as OC or HC.
People who blame him for any of these losses are clowns who don’t understand the game but especially the one in Atlanta. Why don’t you blame the defensive coordinator for blowing that lead? 100 bucks says it’s because without searching you have no clue who it was. Because it doesn’t fit your ridiculous narrative. Every team but the Chiefs would love to trade coaches with the 49ers. Get a clue.
0-3 as a OC and HC in SB’s. Simple as that. He’s the guy that can’t finish out calling a SB, not me.
I’m aware of his record but your logic is foolish. Notice you couldn’t tell me the defensive coordinators name. So thanks for making my point for me that you are just one of those people who pushes foolish narratives because they heard someone else say it and they think it makes them sound smart. News flash it does not.
Like you know every coordinator’s name in SB’s for the past 5 years. Name the STC’s for both teams the past 5 SB’s without google.
But it doesn’t matter. Brady openly calls out 3/28 every March. Wonder why? Kyle chokes is the narrative throughout the league and fans. Not his subordinates or others that fail. That’s his resume embedded in the spotlight. No different than ‘Kirk Cousins chokes in prime time’ or ‘Jerry Jones can’t win it all.’. Its legacy points on the individual, not on blaming others.
So what you are saying is when Brady says 3/28 it’s a shot at Kyle because the team he was the coordinator for lost the game. Not the defensive coordinator whose defense Brady carved up the second half of that game. Like how delusional must someone be to not be able to see how illogical that is? Like how could you even type that without laughing at yourself?
It’s no different than the Marv Levy story. Great guy, awesome teams, division titles, developed tons of HoF players etc…But everyone remembers about Marv is he’s 0-4 in the SB. right or wrong, that’s his legacy.
Kyle certainly got blamed in the media for the Falcons SB loss. He went every conservative in the 2nd half. And he’s 0-2 as a HC.
Which of those teams were the best team in their conference? None? Okay
Also you might want to check Andy Reid’s early coaching career, it’s very similar to Kyle’s. Kyle is still very young for a head coach
I know Andy’s regular season success and post season failures in both Philly and KC. He was called 100 times over ‘bad at clock management’. But he figured that out now and has rings to prove it. Where is Kyle’s ring? Until he has one/them, he gets called out. It’s called pro sports. Losers get the blame. Been that way for centuries.
0-2 as a head coach really stings man
Kyle is over 20 years younger than Andy. Dude inherited an abysmal team. He’s made mistakes, but I’d rather be on the cusp every year, than be the sh*t storm they were before he arrived
I agree, him and John have done a great job with the team.
“Been that way for centuries” which pro league has been around for multiple centuries? Do you just try to go out of your way to say the most foolish and illogical things possible? Do you enjoy negative attention that much? Get outside and get some fresh air. I think the musk might be killing your brain cells.
Well arty, do you realize you just proved JohnCena to be correct? Your 2 examples regarded 2 teams that got worse with changes midseason. Cena was right. Arty is wrong. Time to get to the clue store Arty.
Kyle’s decision to retain a person that, according to him, didn’t fit the team cost them the SB. That’s the way the firing was portrayed.
Staley is a dork.
Dumping a black coach in favor of a white guy whose defense surrendered 63 points to the Raiders is going to open a can of worms and just make the NFL look even more hypocritical than it already is.
I just cannot imagine Staley being the right choice. Wilks got way too much blame-and Shanahan far too little-for their playoff performances. That said, if one is going to make a change, that change should be positive.
Discounting Staley’s obvious defensive failures (more numerous and more lurid than Wilks’), his defensive philosophy is just entirely different than what the 9ers have excelled in running all of these years. Wilks at least came from a background of 4 down linemen and coverage linebacker schemes. Staley’s background is extensively in stand up edge rushers, utilizing four linebackers in a base package. The 9ers have built their line to feature two interior tackles, and their best schemes put Hargrave, Bosa, and Armstead on the field together. Hargrave isn’t playing linebacker. Bosa could, but why move last year’s DPoY to a different role, just because you didn’t like the last coordinator?
Staley is notoriously inflexible, and I don’t see him adapting from a wildly different scheme to what the 9ers have been building for years. It’d be one thing if Staley had good-or even above average-results in L.A. or San Diego, but his defenses were not either of those, and were loaded with star power. Dumping Wilks for Staley seems like an easy way to make the situation worse, not better.