For the role of defensive coordinator with the 49ers, coach Kyle Shanahan has completed two formal interviews. He “should finish it all up this week,” he texted NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday.
Interviews with 49ers defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen and former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley are now complete. stated Shanahan.
The vacancy was brought about by the dismissal of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following just one season with the 49ers. DeMeco Ryans, who was promoted to head coach of the Houston Texans, was replaced by Wilks.
Shanahan confirmed that Daniel Bullocks, the defensive backs coach for the 49ers, will interview later this week for the open position.
Later in the week, the 49ers will probably interview at least two more outside coaches; however, Shanahan did not disclose which other outside candidates are in the running for the job.
For every coordinator position, clubs are required by NFL regulations to interview at least two candidates of color.
Shanahan informed Wilks on February 14 that he was ending their relationship, and he is now in his second week of looking for a defensive coordinator.
Three days prior to the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, the decision was made.
“I felt pretty strongly that this was the decision that was best for our organization,” Shanahan explained while announcing his decision. “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 organization, then it’s something that I have to do.”
Once more, Shanahan and the 49ers coaching staff will not be attending this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The coaches are still working in Santa Clara, but general manager John Lynch and the scouting team are at the combine.
After leading the Chargers to a 24-25 record in three seasons, including a 0-1 playoff record, Staley, 41, was fired.
After serving as Sean McVay’s defensive coordinator for just one season with the Los Angeles Rams, Staley was hired by the Chargers in 2020.
Staley’s only prior NFL coaching experience was with Denver (2019) and Chicago (2017–18) as an outside linebackers coach.
In 2022, 45-year-old Sorensen began working for the 49ers as a defensive assistant. Last year, he was elevated to the position of defensive passing game specialist/nickel back.
Sorensen was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ special teams coordinator during the previous campaign.
Prior to joining the Jaguars, Sorensen worked for Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks for eight seasons. He was a special teams assistant from 2013 to 2016, the secondary coach from 2017 to 2019, and the secondary coach/nickel specialist from 2020 to 2021.
Since Shanahan joined the 49ers in 2017, Bullocks, 40, has been a part of the team. Prior to taking on his current position, he spent two seasons as an assistant defensive backs coach. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the safeties coach.