Report: Niners to name Wilks DC
Published
The San Francisco 49ers have found their replacement for DeMeco Ryans.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the Niners will hire former Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks as their new defensive coordinator.
The vacancy opened when Ryans took the Houston Texans head coaching position late last month.
Wilks, 53, rejoined the Panthers ahead of the 2022 season as its defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach. He became interim head coach in October when Matt Rhule was fired after a 1-4 start to the season. Under Wilks, the Panthers finished the year at 6-6. Wilks had previously spent seven seasons on the team's coaching staff from 2012 to 2017, serving as DC in his final year.
A native of Charlotte, Wilks did have previous head coaching experience, going 3-13 in his one year as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilks served as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
Having also spent time on the coaching staffs of the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers, Wilks had extensive collegiate experience before he moved to the pro game in 2006 including time spent on the staffs of Notre Dame, Washington and Bowling Green