49ers fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following Super Bowl 58 defeat to the Chiefs

Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday he expected all his coaches to be back for next season. He was clearly being diplomatic with the truth. The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in the wake of their Super Bowl 58 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilks was hired last year as […]

Nicholas McGee
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Dec 18, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilks on the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday he expected all his coaches to be back for next season.

He was clearly being diplomatic with the truth.

The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in the wake of their Super Bowl 58 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wilks was hired last year as a replacement for DeMeco Ryans.

The 49ers finished third in points and eighth in yards on defense, but they struggled mightily against the run down the stretch and in the postseason.

Earlier in the season, Wilks moved from the coaching booth to the sideline after a three-game losing streak in which the defense surrendered 1,186 yards.

Things recovered after that bye week change, but the issues in stopping the run that persisted over the final five weeks of the regular season, and the defense's failure to get a game-winning stop in the 25-22 overtime loss in the Super Bowl likely led 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to the decision that a change was necessary.

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