The San Francisco 49ers are working on filling the defensive coordinator vacancy that opened up after Steve Wilks was let go following Super Bowl LVIII.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area that two men have already interviewed for the position, with a third set to do so later this week.
Shanahan told NBC Sports that he has spoken with former Los Angeles Chargers head coach and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, as well as 49ers defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen.
Daniel Bullocks, San Francisco’s defensive backs coach, will interview for the job in the coming days, and the 49ers “are likely to interview at least two other coaches from outside the building,” NBC Sports writes.
Wilks was fired on Feb. 14 after one season in San Francisco. He had previously replaced DeMeco Ryans after he was hired as head coach of the Houston Texans.
“Really tough decision because really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach,” Shanahan said at the time. “He is 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 the 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 organization, then it’s something that I have to do.”
Staley, who was let go by the Chargers late in the 2023 season, is the only one of the three confirmed candidates with defensive playcalling experience.
Sorensen has been a member of the 49ers’ staff since 2022, while Bullocks has worked with Shanahan since 2017.