INSANITY, California It is Kyle Shanahan’s fourth time as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers that he is searching for a defensive coordinator.
This search, in contrast to the other three, is the outcome of a job opening that Shanahan himself created. He declared on February 14 that coordinator Steve Wilks would be leaving the squad after just one season. It was a change after losing former coordinators DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans and Robert Saleh to head coaching positions with the New York Jets and New York Jets, respectively.
When Shanahan disclosed that choice, he said that bringing in Wilks as an outsider and expecting him to fit into an established defensive scheme made for an uncomfortable match that didn’t work out.
Shanahan remarked, “That was the hardest part.” “I realised that would be difficult. It was difficult. Steve was brought in, and despite his incredible loyalty and his best efforts, it was not the right fit.”
Finding a coordinator who does fit is now what Shanahan and the Niners need to do. Every other defensive coordinator position had already been filled, with several highly regarded outside candidates landing elsewhere, as a result of San Francisco’s run to Super Bowl LVIII.
Even if it’s regrettable, it also means the 49ers may take their time choosing Wilks’ replacement.
The search’s rapidity has made that clear. As of Wednesday, the only four confirmed candidates for the position were former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers Brandon Staley, defensive backs coach Dave Merritt of the Kansas City Chiefs, and two internal candidates, defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks and defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen. At the conclusion of the week, everyone will have had an interview.
Other names that have been linked to the Niners are Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator for the Jets, and Chris Kiffin, the coach of the Texans’ linebackers. San Jose native Ulbrich was a member of Shanahan’s coaching staff in 2015–2016 while he was a player with the Niners from 2000–09. Ulbrich is still bound by his contract with the Jets, though, so they would have to let him go in order for the 49ers to sign him.
Merritt is the first applicant to meet the NFL’s Rooney Rule criteria, which requires the Niners to interview at least two external minority candidates.
“We’re not in a rush,” stated John Lynch, general manager. We already have a good idea of who we are and will become, so there won’t be a significant structural shift there. We are content with our current situation.”
In fact, since Shanahan and Saleh built the Niners defensive scheme in 2017, not much has changed. It’s a 4-3 scheme with a lot of zone coverage that depends on the front four to create pressure.
The Niners have played zone on 60.8% of opponent dropbacks over the last seven seasons, which is the greatest percentage in the NFL, regardless of whether Wilks, Saleh, or Ryans was in command. Cover-3 is played on 25.9% of dropbacks (sixth most), quarters are played on 14% of dropbacks (fifth most), and Cover-2 is played on 18.5% of dropbacks (10th most).
San Francisco has also dominated on just 23% of dropbacks, which is the ninth-lowest percentage in the league.
The defence has kept many of its fundamental ideas even if there have been some adjustments over the years, most notably the defensive line’s move to the “wide-9” alignment. And it has paid off, as the 49ers have placed in the top nine in both defensive anticipated points added and scoring defence in four of the last five seasons.
All of which would indicate that, while keeping an open mind to new ideas, the 49ers’ appointment of someone who has been involved in the plan—such as Sorensen or Bullocks—is the most likely outcome.
“I’m not narrow-minded at all,” Shanahan declared. “I’ll investigate every avenue. I’m not merely attempting to modify things, though, when you have some excellent players who have performed at a high level and in a particular manner. I tend to believe that the things they have been doing well and that have brought us this far should be kept up. However, I must ensure that I select the most qualified individual to take that kind of leadership role within our company.”
Not only was Wilks unfamiliar with the Niners’ preferred defence, but he was also Shanahan’s first defensive coordinator, having spent much of his career coaching defensive backs. Prior to this, Saleh and Ryans had worked with linebackers, the position group with the most comprehensive understanding of the defence.
The Niners were tied for the league lead in interceptions with 22, and although cornerback Charvarius Ward had a great year and was named to the second team of the All-Pro team, and fellow corner Deommodore Lenoir had a breakout season, the pass rush and coverage units were not clicking.
“There’s no one way to do things, but you want to tie things together,” said Shanahan. “Steve was constantly trying to do it. That’s beyond a doubt. However, it was more difficult than necessary because of his past and how it came to be with us.”
While coaching linebackers and managing San Francisco’s scheme aren’t prerequisites for the next coordinator, it seems likely that at least one of those qualities would be crucial.
In addition to working with defensive backs in Kansas City, Merritt spent three seasons as an NFL linebacker and served as the Jets’ linebackers’ coach from 2001 to 2003. Working in an attacking 4-3 scheme with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Merritt has been exposed to more man coverage in the back end.
Staley has experience working with linebackers in the NFL and other defensive positions. However, he is also a follower of Vic Fangio, and he is well-known for employing a system that favours a 3–4 front that can counter any offensive scheme an opponent runs while adding complexity for the defensive players who play it.
Lynch stated at this week’s NFL scouting combine that Staley, who he described as “really bright,” shouldn’t be ruled out because of those discrepancies. Lynch went on to say that the Niners wouldn’t rule out hiring an outside replacement simply because things didn’t work out with Wilks. Interviewing outside prospects should, at minimum, provide insight into their potential for growth.
Even so, it’s unlikely that the Niners’ defensive philosophy will change significantly from the previous seven years when they do make their next defensive coordinator choice.
“We like who we are, what we do as a defence, and I don’t think we want to have some wholesale departure from that,” Lynch stated. “I know we don’t.”
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