49ers oust defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after Super Bowl loss to Chiefs

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The San Francisco 49ers suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII. The Niners defense surrendered a touchdown in the extra period en route to the 22-25 defeat.

Less than 72 hours after the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan decided to make a change. First-year defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, Shanahan announced. 

"This morning I relieved Steve Wilks of his duties," Shanahan said in a conference call. 

"[We're] going to end up making a change here at defensive coordinator. A really tough decision, because [it] really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach. I mean, he's exactly what we wanted as a man. He is a great football coach."

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Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of the San Francisco 49ers walks onto the field during team entrances before Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Shannhan suggested that the 49ers defense needed a change in philosophy and that bringing in a new coordinator would ultimately be the best thing for the team moving forward.

"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 to these last few days, I felt pretty strongly that this was a decision that was best for the organization."

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