49ers interview former Chargers head coach Staley for DC job

The San Francisco 49ers interviewed Brandon Staley for their vacant defensive coordinator job, head coach Kyle Shanahan told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports.

The franchise also spoke with their defensive passing game specialist, Nick Sorensen, for the role, while 49ers defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks is expected to interview for the position this week, Shanahan added.

The Los Angeles Chargers fired Staley following a 63-21 loss in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 41-year-old finished his tenure with the Chargers losing five of his last six contests. He compiled a 24-24 regular-season record and an 0-1 record in the postseason.

The Chargers hired Staley after he enjoyed a tremendous 2020 campaign as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator. The Rams finished second in points per game and defensive success rate en route to a spot in the NFC divisional round.

However, Staley's defensive success with the Rams did not translate to the Chargers, who ranked 27th in EPA/play from 2021-2023.

Sorensen, meanwhile, was hired by Shanahan as a defensive assistant in 2022 after spending the 2021 season as the Jacksonville Jaguars' special teams coordinator. He played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back with the Rams, Jaguars, and Cleveland Browns.

The 49ers are likely to interview two other coaches from outside the team later in the week, per Maiocco. San Francisco fired Steve Wilks a few days after their Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers' defensive coordinator job is the only vacant coordinator role in the NFL.