49ers fire DC Wilks after Super Bowl loss to Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that he's relieved defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties following the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Wilks spent one season in San Francisco after taking over for DeMeco Ryans, who left to become the Houston Texans' coach.

During an end-of-season press conference Tuesday, Shanahan said he expected all of his coaching staff to return for 2024. He said Wednesday that he didn't announce Wilks' departure then because he was unsure if they'd part ways.

Shanahan added that it was a tough decision but said Wilks' system didn't align with what the 49ers had previously used.

"That was the hardest part. I knew that was a challenge," Shanahan said, according to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press. "We have committed to not just a system, but the players that have been in the system from our D-line, our linebackers, they played in it for such a long time.

"It was my goal to not have to change all of them and bring in Steve who was unbelievable and how loyal he was and him trying to do it. But it just ended up not being the right fit. It hurt for me to do this but that's exactly why I had to."

San Francisco put together a strong first-half performance last Sunday, holding Patrick Mahomes and Co. to three points.

But the 49ers struggled to stop the Chiefs offense in the second half and overtime, with Mahomes ultimately leading a 75-yard, 13-play game-winning drive to secure Kansas City's second straight title.

The 49ers finished the 2022 campaign as the NFL's top-ranked defense in both points and yards allowed. While the unit was still strong in 2023, it slipped to eighth and third in yards and points allowed, respectively.

Wilks was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach for one season in 2018. He was then the interim coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2022 and spent time with the Cleveland Browns before joining San Francisco.