The San Francisco 49ers underwent a complete coaching overhaul this offseason. After parting ways with defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, the team moved swiftly to fill the vacancies.
A reunion with Robert Saleh was finalized to lead the defense, while Brant Boyer was hired to take over special teams. As the 49ers embraced these changes, one of their former coaches was still searching for his next opportunity.
The New York Jets, who fired Saleh earlier in the season, also made sweeping staff changes. Brant Boyer managed to finish out the year, but once the offseason arrived, the Jets cleaned house. To assist in their coaching search, they even sought guidance from the 33rd Team.
Ultimately, the Jets selected Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. With Glenn in place, the next priority was assembling a strong coaching staff. While the team has yet to secure an offensive coordinator, they have now filled a key defensive role.
Jets Hire Former 49ers Defensive Coordinator
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jets have reached an agreement with former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz further reports that Glenn will not assume play-calling duties for the defense. Instead, Wilks will take full control of that responsibility.
Wilks, 55, led one of the NFL’s top defenses with the 49ers in 2023, helping the team rank fourth in points allowed and playing a crucial role in their Super Bowl run. Despite this success, philosophical differences with head coach Kyle Shanahan led to his dismissal after the season.
His departure was expected given the tensions between him and Shanahan throughout the year. Midway through the season, following a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Shanahan publicly criticized Wilks and moved him from the booth to the sideline for the remainder of the campaign.
In his final game with San Francisco, Shanahan overruled Wilks by calling a timeout on a pivotal third down—a moment that symbolized their disconnect and foreshadowed Wilks’ firing.
After spending the 2024 season as a volunteer advisor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wilks now returns to the NFL in a system better suited to his strengths.
Wilks’ New Role in New York
With the Jets, Wilks inherits a defense loaded with talent, including stars like Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. While the unit has been the team’s backbone in recent years, inconsistency plagued them last season. Wilks’ experience and steady leadership should help stabilize their performance.
As a first-time head coach, Glenn’s decision to hand defensive play-calling duties to Wilks signals trust in his expertise. For the Jets, the move strengthens their defensive identity as they look to compete in a challenging AFC East.
For Wilks, this opportunity provides a fresh start and a chance to reestablish himself as one of the league’s top defensive minds after his abrupt exit from San Francisco.
