The 49ers search for a new defensive coordinator is underway. They’ve requested to interview Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
Wilks was the Panthers’ defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach under former Carolina head coach Matt Rhule. The 53-year-old broke into the NFL in 2006 after 11 seasons as a college defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator. From 2006-14 he was a defensive backs coach with the Bears, Chargers and Panthers. In 2015 he added assistant head coach to his title, and in 2017 became their defensive coordinator.
The Cardinals hired Wilks as their head coach in 2018, but fired him after one unsuccessful season where they went 3-13 behind quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Sam Bradford.
He went on to be the Browns’ DC in 2019, then got back into coaching in 2021 as the University of Missouri’s defensive coordinator before landing back in Carolina last season.
The 49ers don’t have a ready-made in-house candidate for the job like they had with DeMeco Ryans, so going outside the building to hire an experienced DC would make a lot of sense.
