For the second successive year, the San Francisco 49ers will spend part of the offseason looking for a new defensive coordinator.

Last year, the 49ers went outside of the building for the first time after DeMeco Ryans left to become head coach of the Houston Texans.

His replacement Steve Wilks only lasted one season, with head coach Kyle Shanahan confirming on Wednesday that the 49ers had decided to part with Wilks in the wake of the Niners' overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.

San Francisco finished third in points and eighth in yards on defense. However, the 49ers struggled to stop the run down the stretch and in the postseason, and in terms of efficiency they endured a significant drop-off, going from first in Expected Points Added per play in 2022 to 12th in 2023.

Explaining his decision, Shanahan did not point to that drop-off specifically, instead articulating his view that Wilks, who moved from the coaching booth to the sideline in midseason to better communicate with his players after a three-game losing streak, was ultimately not the right for the team.

He told a conference call: "I’ve been sleeping on this for a few nights and trying to come up with a few tough decisions, but this morning, I relieved Steve Wilks of his duties,” Shanahan said.

"A really tough decision because it really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach. He’s exactly what we wanted as a man. He is a great football coach. But just where we’re going and where we’re at with our team from a scheme standpoint and things like that, looking through it all throughout the year, through these last few days, I felt pretty strongly that this was a decision that was best for our organization.

“And even though it was one I didn’t want to make, it was something that once I realized that I think a different direction is what’s best for our organization, then it’s something that I have to do. So let him know this morning, and I know I wasn’t able to let you guys know yesterday because I wasn’t sure about it yesterday. But I am now, and that’s the case, and I wanted to let you guys know firsthand.

"It just ended up not being the right fit. And it hurt for me to do this, but that’s exactly why I had to. But it was just for his background and how it ended up with us, it was harder than it needed to be, and I felt it would improve us going a different direction."

Though Wilks came in and coached the 49ers' system that was already in place under Robert Saleh and then Ryans, Shanahan is not necessarily married to the idea of maintaining that continuity.

“I’m committed, with a situation we’re in, trying to find what we believe will give the Niners the best chance in 2024,” he added. “And when you have a group of guys who have played at a high level doing certain things a specific way for a while, I do feel that’s [keeping the system in place] the best thing to do for them.

“But if I find something that I believe in and I could be sold on, that could be a better avenue, I would never hesitate to do that. So, I’m not closed-minded in any way.”

49ers make huge coaching change after Super Bowl loss

It makes sense.