What should we make of the San Francisco 49ers’ firing of Steve Wilks?

A few days after their loss in super Bowl LVIII, the San Francisco 49ers parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. It was an interesting move that came on the heels of an overtime game that the 49ers had chances to win. We’ll take a look at the potential reasoning San Francisco had for making the change, and at other coordinators who might be on the hot seat. All statistics were sourced from Football Reference.

During a crucial overtime sequence during Super Bowl LVIII, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called a timeout because he didn’t like the team’s defensive approach heading into the play. CBS analyst Tony Romo defended Shanahan’s decision, commenting that the head coach has the right to shift gears, especially in that situation.

As it turned out, the 49ers didn’t stop the Chiefs on the overtime drive, even with Shanahan’s decision to override Wilks’ original call. It’s possible that Wilks’ initial gut would have resulted in a stop, but the disagreement at a huge point of the game was certainly notable.

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Shortly after the Super Bowl, CBS Sports reported that Shanahan expected his entire coaching staff to return to the team in 2024.

Of course, not long thereafter, Shanahan would announce that the franchise had relieved Wilks of his duties. It stands to reason that Wilks had a conversation with Shanahan and the front office that may not have gone particularly well in between the two media sessions.

Shanahan has been the head coach in San Francisco for seven years, going 61-54 in that time frame. The 49ers have made two Super Bowls, and two NFC championship games in that window as well, which qualifies as a successful run.

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However, Shanahan has rotated defensive coordinators in that window, as almost anyone who has handled the position has done a great job. From 2017-2020, Robert Saleh held the job, and from 2022-2023, it was DeMeco Ryans who manned the post. Wilks was the latest hire for the 2023 campaign, but as we know, his run only lasted a season.

Saleh and Ryans have gone on to become head coaches elsewhere, while Wilks has prior head coaching experience. San Francisco appears to be one of the better teams at evaluating/developing coaches, but it bears mentioning that Wilks did a great job in 2023. The 49ers were top five in several defensive categories, and led the NFL in total interceptions with 22.

Despite losing in the Super Bowl, Wilks’ defense performed admirably during the big game, short-circuiting Patrick Mahomes for the majority of the game.

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Wilks had head coaching experience prior to accepting the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position in 2023. He went 3-13 as the Arizona Cardinals head coach in 2023, but fared better as an interim head coach with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, going 6-6.

SB Nation believes that Steve Wilks didn’t deserve to be painted as a scapegoat for San Francisco’s Super Bowl defeat. While he would need another stellar season as a coordinator to rehabilitate his reputation for head coaching positions, Wilks should have no trouble landing another senior defensive job ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Other coaches around the NFL might get a little nervous looking at what transpired in San Francisco. After all, Wilks’ unit was one of the best in the league, and performed well in the Super Bowl, but the defensive coordinator was still relieved of his duties.

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There are a few other coordinators around the NFL who might be coaching for their jobs during the 2024 campaign.

Sports Illustrated noted in January that the Jets only threw for 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions this season. Hackett’s reputation has taken a beating in the last couple of years, after a dreadful Jets offensive performance last year, and a failed stint as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2022.

The Athletic highlighted Detroit’s struggling defense in December 2023, which makes it all the more remarkable that the Lions made a run to the NFC championship game last season. Glenn will need to have his unit perform better next year, otherwise Dan Campbell and Detroit’s front office could look for a replacement in short order.

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The Giants have had a difficult time finding the right offensive formula to get the best out of Daniel Jones. It’s unlikely that New York will ever feature a down-the-field aerial attack, but Kafka has the difficult task of figuring out how to best move the ball in 2024.