The San Francisco 49ers found the replacement in DeMeco Ryans.
NFL Network reports that the Niners will hire former Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks as their new defensive coordinator.
The position became vacant when Ryans accepted the position of head coach of the Houston Texans late last month.
Wilks, 53, joined the Panthers ahead of the 2022 season. 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 with a 6-6 record. Wilks previously spent seven seasons on the team’s coaching staff from 2012 to 2017.
A native of Charlotte, Wilks already had head coaching experience, going 3-13 in his only year as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilks also served as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
Having also spent time on the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers coaching staffs, Wilks had extensive college experience before turning pro in 2006, including time with the Notre Dame, Washington teams. and Bowling Green.
