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Steve Wilks

NFL’s Rehearing Request In Brian Flores Suit Denied

October 19th, 2025 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The NFL is currently reeling in its active, high-profile legal battles. In a post on X earlier this month, Wigdor LLP – one of the firms representing Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in his class-action suit against the league and six of its teams – said the NFL’s petition for a rehearing of a recent Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Flores’ favor was denied.

In August, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit affirmed a lower court holding that Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, Giants, and Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. The appellate court reasoned that Flores never signed contracts containing mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three outfits is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule). As such, the Defendants could not force those particular claims to arbitration.

The NFL subsequently sought a rehearing before the Second Circuit’s full 13-judge panel, but as noted by Wigdor LLP, that attempt was unsuccessful. It is unclear whether the league will appeal to the United States Supreme Court, but even if it does, the odds of any party securing a review before the highest court in the nation are quite slim.

So for now, Flores – whose suit includes as co-Plaintiffs current Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and former NFL staffer Ray Horton, who worked as a DC for three different clubs – will have the opportunity to air a portion of his claims in the forum of an open court instead of the sheltered, league-friendly arbitration setting. The motion he recently filed in a renewed effort to remove his and his co-Plaintiffs’ claims against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans from arbitration to open court is still pending.

This decision comes on the heels of another failed arbitration-related attempt on the league’s part. The Nevada Supreme Court recently held that former Bucs and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s suit against the NFL could proceed to open court, and the league’s motion to have a rehearing of that ruling was also denied.

Given these recent developments, there soon may be some substantive movement in both matters. Gruden’s suit was filed in November 2021, and Flores filed his action just a few months later, in February 2022. As of yet, however, neither proceeding has moved to a trial on the merits of the disputes.

Attorneys In Brian Flores Suit Renew Attempt To Remove Claims Against Dolphins, Cardinals, And Titans From Arbitration

September 21st, 2025 at 8:36am CST by Rory Parks

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going back on the offensive in his class-action suit against the NFL and six of its teams. Per Daniel Kaplan of Front Office Sports, Flores and other members of the class allege that Peter Harvey, the arbitrator whom commissioner Roger Goodell appointed on September 17, 2024, is merely “sitting on his hands” in an effort to delay the proceedings.

Flores argues that Harvey has done nothing in the year since his appointment, including responding to requests regarding his own potential conflicts of interest. For instance, as Kaplan points out, Harvey has ties to the league thanks to his seat on the NFL diversity committee, which was formed in the wake of Flores’ suit. Harvey has also served as an arbitrator in other NFL matters, and Flores claims those appointments likely resulted in substantial compensation. In a December 2024 letter to Flores’ lawyers, NFL outside counsel Loretta Lynch said those types of conflict disclosures are not required by law.

In a recent motion that was filed in an effort to remove all of the Plaintiffs’ claims from arbitration and put them in court, Flores’ attorneys write, “[i]ncredibly, as of the filing of this motion for the court, Mr. Harvey has not issued any decision on the motion for arbitral disclosures, nor communicated with parties in any manner whatsoever regarding the proceedings. As such, the entire arbitration has been at a complete standstill and effectively stayed. Mr. Harvey effectively gave the NFL its desired stay through his inexplicable inaction.”

We heard last month that Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, the Giants, and the Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. In affirming that decision and ruling against the NFL, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reasoned that Flores never signed contracts with mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three teams is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule). On the other hand, because Flores and co-Plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton had signed contracts with the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans, respectively, and because those deals included a mandatory arbitration provision, the claims against that trio of teams remain in Harvey’s purview for the time being.

That has set up a new battlefront of sorts: while the NFL is appealing the Second Circuit’s three-judge decision to the court’s full 13-judge panel, Flores’ camp argues in its above-referenced motion to the trial court that the Second Circuit’s ruling with respect to the Broncos, Giants, and Texans – in which the appeals court held that it would be unconscionable for Goodell or one of his designees to act as an arbitrator in a case against the NFL and its teams – should also apply to the claims against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans (contract language notwithstanding).

Of course, the league prefers the more sheltered arbitration setting, whereas Flores & Co. are seeking the more objective arena of an open courtroom. That venue dispute has dragged on since the suit was filed three-and-a-half years ago, and it apparently will continue for at least a while longer.

In underscoring the amount of time that has passed with little by way of substantive movement in the litigation, Flores’ lawyers wrote, “[g]iven Mr. Harvey’s inaction and lack of communication, the litigations before him have not even moved to the very initial discovery stage. Mr. Harvey has completely abdicated and disregarded his responsibilities…and he has let the entire arbitration before him languish without any communication.”

The NFL has opposed the Plaintiffs’ motion but has declined public comment on it. 

Jets Finalize 2025 Defensive, ST Staff

February 16th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets have finalized their defensive and special teams coaching staff for their inaugural season under head coach Aaron Glenn, per a team announcement.

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo  were in place by the end of January, but it took a few more weeks to finalize their staffs. Several of the Jets’ position coach hires have already been reported, but the team has since added several assistants.

Among them is former Rams and Lions cornerback Dré Bly, who is joining the Jets as an assistant defensive backs coach. He spent the last season in Detroit as a cornerbacks coach and will now follow Glenn to New York.

Cameron Davis, the Lions’ assistant defensive line coach for the last three seasons, is also sticking with Glenn. Davis will take the same position with the Jets under defensive line coach Eric Washington.

Glenn is retaining Nathaniel Willingham on his new staff, albeit in a new position. After coaching nickelbacks in 2024, Willingham will now be the Jets’ assistant linebackers coach. He previously served as a defensive assistant in 2022 and 2023 before a stint in Denver as a defensive quality control coach.

Alonso Escalante is returning to the NFL as a defensive assistant with a focus on nickels. He spent the last two years in the high school ranks, but he has eight years of pro experience with five different teams. Most recently, he was the Panthers’ assistant running backs coach in 2021.

Former Bears, Broncos, and Browns cornerback Roosevelt Williams is taking his first job in the NFL as a defensive assistant. He has spent the last 15 years at the college level and was the cornerbacks coach for Houston Christian University in 2024.

On special teams, the Jets aded Kevin O’Dea as an assistant. He has almost three decades of experience in the NFL, including a previous stint with the Jets as special teams coordinator in 2008 and 2009.

Jets Hire Steve Wilks As DC

January 29th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The first major Jets hire of the Aaron Glenn era is set to be made. The team’s next defensive coordinator will be the staffer long seen as the top candidate for the position.

Steve Wilks is finalizing a deal to take over New York’s defense, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. He had an interview lined up for today, so that meeting has obviously gone well. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds a contract will be signed tomorrow. This will mark a return to coaching after Wilks was out of the league in 2024.

Once the Glenn hire was made, Wilks was named as a strong contender to become his defensive coordinator. The latter has worked as a DC three separate times in the NFL, also holding that role on three occasions in the college ranks. An interview also took place with Chris Harris, but Glenn and Co. have elected to go with their top choice for 2025. Multiple reports from yesterday noted this was the team’s expected route.

Wilks first coached in the NFL in 2005, and his stock steadily rose with respect to his head coaching candidacy. His first – and to date, only – full-time opportunity in that department came in 2018 with the Cardinals. After his one-and-done campaign in Arizona, Wilks worked as the Browns’ D-coordinator before a one-year DC stint at Missouri. He returned to the pro ranks on Carolina’s staff.

The Panthers fired Frank Reich midway through his first season as head coach in 2022, and Wilks took over on an interim basis. He received support from the players to receive the gig full time, but Carolina ultimately hired Dave Canales. That left Wilks on the move, and he took charge of the 49ers’ defense for their latest Super Bowl run. After losing the title game (and reportedly clashing with head coach Kyle Shanahan along the way), though, Wilks was fired.

Now, the Jets will bring him onboard in an effort to replicate the success seen for much of Jeff Ulbrich‘s time at the helm of their defense. After Robert Saleh‘s midseason firing, Ulbrich took over as interim HC but posted a 3-9 record. While he interviewed for the full-time gig, Glenn was long seen as a preferred candidate for this year’s hiring cycle. The latter called plays during his time with the Lions, but that will not be the case in New York.

As a result, the Jets’ defensive coordinator hire loomed as a key one for Glenn to make regarding his first year as a head coach. Wilks represents a highly experienced addition to his staff, and expectations will be high for his debut campaign in New York. The Jets finished third or fourth in total defense for each of the past three seasons, and remaining strong on that side of the ball will be an obvious goal moving forward. If Wilks can help the team attain it, his stock will likely receive a boost.

Jets Schedule DC Interviews With Chris Harris, Steve Wilks

January 29th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets are moving to fill Aaron Glenn‘s new staff with two defensive coordinator interviews schedule for Wednesday.

First up is former Titans defensive backs coach and pass-game coordinator Chris Harris, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Tennessee allowed the second-fewest passing yards in 2024, but Harris was not retained on Brian Callahan‘s staff. The former NFL safety has a “longstanding relationship” with Glenn, though the two never overlapped on the same team in their playing or coaching careers.

On Wednesday evening, the Jets will interview veteran defensive coach Steve Wilks, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. He has been a hot candidate for defensive coordinator openings this cycle, completing interviews with the Falcons and the Colts. Wilks missed out on both opportunities, but was mentioned as a possibility for the job in New York before Glenn’s hiring was even official.

Glenn has already announced that he will not call plays for the Jets defense after doing so in Detroit for the last four seasons. That makes Wilks’ experience as the DC for three different teams especially valuable. Cooley has never called plays, but he would be able to use Glenn as a resource if hired.

Still, Wilks seems like the favorite to land the job ahead of his interview. He has not gotten more than one year in a position since his mid-2010s success with the Panthers, but could find himself in a long-term partnership Glenn with a successful meeting tonight.

As of yet, Harris and Wilks are the only two official candidates for the Jets’ DC job.

Tanner Engstrand Strong Candidate For Jets’ OC Position; Steve Wilks Hire Still Possible

January 28th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

New Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has yet to fill the offensive or defensive coordinator positions on his staff, but that may change soon. Key targets for both vacancies are in place.

Lions pass-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand was viewed as a suitable successor to Ben Johnson for Detroit’s OC opening. Instead, the team elected to make an outside hire. That leaves Engstrand to potentially leave the Motor City and follow Glenn to New York. Indeed, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports there are “substantive discussions” taking place regarding Engstrand and the Jets’ OC gig.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 confirms the 42-year-old is a Jets target, adding there is confidence he will ultimately be hired. Engstrand has been with the Lions since 2020, having begun his coaching career in 2005 at San Diego. One year earlier, he and new Jets general manager Darren Mougey were teammates at San Diego State (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini).

With a degree of familiarity between Engstrand and both members of the franchise’s new HC/GM pair, a New York hire would come as little surprise. To date, Engstrand’s only coordinator experience comes from his single season with the then-XFL’s DC Defenders in 2020, but he generated acclaim during his time working under Dan Campbell with the Lions. His tenure in Detroit included the titles of quality control and tight ends coach prior to this season’s tenure in his current role.

The Jets have already been linked to five different OC candidates (although one of them, Klint Kubiak, is no longer on the market). That list includes Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, who was reported last week to be the perceived frontrunner for the job. It would appear Engstrand is now in pole position, so this situation will be worth watching closely.

On the other side of the ball, Anderson’s report notes Steve Wilks has been mentioned as a candidate to monitor regarding the defensive coordinator vacancy. The veteran coach’s name came up once Glenn was hired, and to this point no other candidate has been linked to the Jets. SNY’s Connor Hughes adds this situation remains on track to result in a hire. Wilks, 55, has been a DC with the Panthers, Browns and 49ers. His time in San Francisco ended shortly after the Super Bowl last year, and he was out of coaching for 2024. Wilks may soon have his next opportunity lined up shortly, though.

2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

January 26th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, half the league changed up at offensive and defensive coordinator. As most HC-needy teams have now filled their open positions, the coordinator carousel has accelerated. Here is how the market looks now. When other teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-21-25 (1:59pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Chicago Bears (Out: Chris Beatty)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Ken Dorsey)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Brian Schottenheimer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Ben Johnson)

  • John Morton, pass-game coordinator (Broncos): Hired

Houston Texans (Out: Bobby Slowik)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Press Taylor)

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Klint Kubiak)

New York Jets (Out: Nathaniel Hackett)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Kevin Patullo, pass-game coordinator (Eagles): Promoted

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Ryan Grubb)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Liam Coen)

Defensive coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Jimmy Lake)

Chicago Bears (Out: Eric Washington)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Lou Anarumo)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Mike Zimmer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Aaron Glenn)

  • Larry Foote, inside linebackers coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach (Lions): Promoted

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Gus Bradley)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

  • Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach/running game coordinator (Packers): Hired
  • Jonathan Cooley, pass-game coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
  • Patrick Graham, former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interviewed 1/27
  • Daronte Jones, defensive pass-game coordinator (Vikings): Interviewed 1/27
  • Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/28

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: DeMarcus Covington)

  • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/21
  • Terrell Williams, defensive line coach (Lions): Hired

New Orleans Saints (Out: Joe Woods)

New York Jets (Out: Jeff Ulbrich)

  • Chris Harris, former defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/29
  • Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator (49ers): To be hired

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Nick Sorensen)

Jets Hire Aaron Glenn As HC

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a spree of rumors, Aaron Glenn is signing up to lead the Jets. The parties have a deal in place, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. This will bring the former Jets first-round pick back to New York. Glenn’s hire is now official, per a team announcement.

Bovada’s Josina Anderson reported earlier today Glenn had informed the Lions he would be leaving for New York, barring a snag. No snag ultimately took place, and Glenn will cancel his second Saints interview to take over as the next Jets HC. News developed Tuesday that Glenn had become the Jets’ favorite, and the team is believed to have offered a substantial deal to entice the former cornerback. This will be a five-year agreement, per Schefter.

Glenn, 52, spent the past four seasons leading Detroit’s defense and had been on the past three coaching carousels — despite the Lions not impressing statistically on that side of the ball until this season. Glenn managing to keep the Lions a top-10 defense this season, after Aidan Hutchinson‘s season-ending injury occurred in Week 6, burnished his HC credentials, and the Jets will be the team that commits to the veteran assistant.

Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell — a Jets Mark Sanchez backup in the early 2010s — has been linked as a potential OC option, while NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo pinpoints Steve Wilks as a “strong” DC candidate. Wilks had come up as a Jets option Tuesday, as the Glenn-to-New York buzz circulated, and resurfaced on the DC carousel earlier this month. Glenn has been linked to wanting an experienced DC option, which is interesting since that is his side of the ball, and Wilks would match that description. The former Panthers interim HC also led the Cardinals for a season and served as the defensive play-caller for the 49ers and Panthers as well.

The Jets chose Glenn 12th overall in 1994, Pete Carroll‘s lone season as their HC, and he stayed with the team for eight years. Glenn became a Pro Bowler with the Jets under Bill Parcells, helping their 1998 team reach the AFC championship game. The Jets later left Glenn exposed in the 2002 Texans expansion draft, where he was selected. After Glenn played eight more NFL seasons to stretch his career to 16 years, he returned as a Jets scout. More than a decade later, the team — despite having hired a defensive coach (Robert Saleh) in 2021 — will turn to him at a critical point. Parcells helped vouch for Glenn with the Jets’ Mike Tannenbaum-led search committee, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes.

Earlier this month, the Jets made a late push for Mike Vrabel. But the ex-Patriot chose an offer to return to New England. Glenn, who intercepted 24 passes with the Jets, now returns to the Big Apple to help a team likely to begin a transition. The Jets are expected to release Aaron Rodgers, though the future Hall of Famer is not 100% out the door just yet. That said, Rodgers is not committed to even playing in 2025. Meanwhile, Glenn will head up a Jets defense that still features some young talent. The longtime secondary coach will get to work on mentoring Sauce Gardner, while his OC hire will be vital as the Jets likely search for a young quarterback after several recent misses.

New York has not enjoyed a steady quarterback presence since Glenn’s playing tenure, when the team crafted a Vinny Testaverde-to-Chad Pennington baton pass. Several draft choices have missed, and the Rodgers trade backfired, with the 2024 team somehow winning fewer games with the ex-Packers legend than Saleh’s 2022 and ’23 squads did with Zach Wilson at the helm. Woody Johnson‘s decision to fire Saleh after five games also proved the wrong call, as interim leader Jeff Ulbrich — who has since left to become the Falcons’ DC — did not generate a boost.

This is Johnson’s first HC hire since Todd Bowles in 2015. The oft-criticized owner had been part of Donald Trump’s first presidential administration, as ambassador to the United Kingdom, when the Jets hired Adam Gase and then Saleh. Johnson bought the Jets during Glenn’s playing tenure, but his reputation has steadily worsened since — with some hits coming recently. Johnson has been accused of meddling on a regular basis, to the point Madden ratings and his sons’ involvement in decisions and presences in the locker room have come under fire. Glenn is not walking into the most stable situation, but his history with the organization probably played a significant role in him signing on.

Vrabel being turned off by Johnson’s presence came up during this search, and the Jets were not expected to receive an audience with Glenn colleague Ben Johnson. Ex-Glenn Lions coworker Lance Newmark, however, has been closely linked to coming over from Washington — where he has served as assistant GM over the past year — to lead the Jets’ front office. It would be Newmark who would be positioned to work more closely with Johnson compared to Glenn. That partnership did not end well for Joe Douglas, who lost respect for the owner and lobbed anonymous criticism his boss’ way as his tenure progressed.

These developments, along with the quarterback matter, may raise the degree of difficulty for Glenn. The Lions, however, completed this decade’s premier rebuild effort after climbing from 3-13-1 to the NFC championship game in a two-season span. Detroit followed that up with a 15-2 record this season. The Lions’ divisional-round loss allowed for Johnson (Bears) and Glenn to be hired this week, as opposed to the No. 1-seeded team’s top assistants potentially needing to wait until after Super Bowl LIX to be appointed — like the Eagles’ coordinator duo two years ago.

Glenn helped develop Hutchinson, and safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph made substantial leaps under the former secondary coach this season. This came after Glenn helped groom the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams in New Orleans.

The Lions, however, ranked 31st, 28th and 23rd defensively in Glenn’s first three seasons; their defense collapsed in a loss to the 49ers in last season’s NFC championship game. Glenn helped generate a rebound this year (seventh), and his defenses never finishing above 19th in yards allowed did not impede his candidacy.

As the Lions will need new coordinators and potentially some new position coaches, depending on who Johnson and Glenn take with them, the Saints lost one of their finalists. New Orleans still has Mike Kafka and Anthony Weaver second interviews scheduled. But Glenn came up in every HC-needy team’s search this offseason. He met with five teams, declining a Patriots interview as it became clear Vrabel was heading to Foxborough.

While the Saints refocus, the Jets have landed one of the bigger names available as they attempt to end what has become by far the NFL’s longest active playoff drought (14 seasons). The Lions will obtain two future third-round picks because of Glenn’s hire, due to the Rooney Rule.

Steve Wilks, Nick Caley, Scott Turner, Klint Kubiak Among Potential Aaron Glenn Jets Targets

January 21st, 2025 at 3:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:27pm: Saints OC Klint Kubiak is another name to watch on this front, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Kubiak met with the Browns for their offensive coordinator position prior to the team’s decision to promote Tommy Rees. He does not have a history of working with Glenn, but the 37-year-old would make for an interesting addition to the Jets’ staff if he were to be brought in.

1:14pm: Aaron Glenn is set to take part in his second Jets head coaching interview today, and he represents the team’s top target. A deal could be reached at any time as a result, and a few interesting names have emerged with respect to coaches who could find themselves on a Glenn-led staff.

On the defensive side of the ball, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes that Steve Wilks will be a name to watch. Wilks will be a potential defensive coordinator candidate for New York in the event Glenn is hired as head coach. The latter is currently the Lions’ DC, but there is of course no guarantee he would continue calling plays if he were to take on the Jets’ head coaching position.

Wilks has a coaching background dating back to 1995, and he has been on an NFL sideline for all but three seasons since 2005. The 55-year-old has been a full-time head coach on one occasion in addition to a pair of defensive coordinator gigs at the pro level. The most recent of those was in 2023 with the 49ers, a position Wilks took after he did not receive the Panthers’ full-time HC gig . San Francisco moved on from him after last year’s Super Bowl, and he was out of coaching for this season.

With respect to potential offensive coordinators, Hughes reports Glenn has been in contact with at least two candidates. Nick Caley is one of them; the soon-to-be 42-year-old is currently in place on the Rams’ staff. Caley spent eight years with the Patriots, with much of that time coming as the team’s tight ends coach. He continued in that role last year upon arrival in Los Angeles, but this season he took on the additional title of pass game coordinator.

Caley does not have experience as an offensive coordinator, but Scott Turner does. The latter is the other name Glenn has been in contact with, per Hughes. Turner took over as interim OC for the Raiders after Luke Getsy‘s midseason firing, and he has not been connected to any NFL coordinator vacancies in the time following head coach Antonio Pierce‘s dismissal. Turner is, however, a candidate to join Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina staff.

It remains to be seen (for the time being, at least) if Glenn will indeed be hired by the Jets. If that does take place, though, it will be interesting to see if the candidates he has been in contact with will wind up following him to New York.

Falcons To Interview Steve Wilks For DC Job

January 15th, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Falcons are interviewing longtime NFL coach Steve Wilks for their vacant defensive coordinator position, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Wilks’ most recent NFL gig was as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator in 2023, where his defense ranked among the league’s top-10 in yards and points allowed. Though the 49ers made the Super Bowl, they elected to fire Wilks shortly after their loss to the Chiefs.

The 55-year-old has an extensive coaching history – mostly overseeing the secondary – starting with a 20-year career in the college ranks at schools such as Notre Dame and the University of Washington. Wilks then moved to the NFL as the defensive backs coach for the Bears (2006-2008), Chargers (2009-2011), and Panthers (2012-2016). He led Carolina’s defense to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance in his first year as defensive coordinator in 2017, setting him up to take the Cardinals’ head-coaching gig the next year.

Wilks was fired after a 3-13 debut season in Arizona and has since spent time with five college and pro teams. He was the defensive coordinator for the Browns in 2019 and the University of Missouri in 2021. In 2022, he returned to Carolina as their secondary coach and led the team to a 6-6 record as interim head coach after Matt Rhule was fired in October.

Wilks spent the 2024 season in North Carolina, serving as a volunteer advisor for the UNC Charlotte 49ers. He also interviewed for the head coaching job in Chapel Hill that ultimately went to Bill Belichick.

The Falcons seem intent on adding an experienced defensive coordinator to replace Jimmy Lake on Raheem Morris‘ staff. They already interviewed former Ravens and Giants DC Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, and ex-Bengals DC Lou Anarumo is on tap for Thursday. Atlanta may have to move quickly to secure their desired candidate, as both Anarumo and Wilks are expected to interview with the Colts for their defensive coordinator job, too.

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