INSANITY, California Kyle Shanahan, the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is searching for a defensive coordinator for the fourth
time in his career.
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 from the previous two coordinators,
Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans, who were hired as head coaches of the Houston Texans 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 realized 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 was
previously 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. The only four confirmed candidates for the position as of Wednesday are Dave Merritt of the
Kansas City Chiefs, former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Nick Sorensen, an internal candidate who specializes in defensive
passing games and nickel cornerbacks, and Daniel Bullocks, a defensive backs coach. 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 played for the Niners from 2000 to 2009 and collaborated with
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 defense 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 defense 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.”
In addition to lacking knowledge of the Niners’ primary defense,
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