It's been a week since San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced the dismissal of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Since then, there has only been speculation surrounding the direction Shanahan is headed in his search to replace Wilks, with no confirmed reports of external interviews or interest.
San Francisco Chronicle journalist Michael Silver described the whole process as "one of the more secretive searches in recent memory," adding that there's a belief around the NFL that Shanahan intends to promote a coach from within.
In NFL coaching circles, there's a belief that Kyle Shanahan is preparing to fill the 49ers' vacant DC opening from within. That said, this has been one of the more secretive searches in recent memory... so until there's an announcement, feel free to dream those big dreams...
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) February 21, 2024
Last week, Shanahan initially stated the team would consider both internal and external candidates for the role.
"We've got some good coaches in here," Shanahan said. "I'm definitely going to look outside also. So there's a number of things I got to do for the interview process."
When asked if defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, linebackers coach Johnny Holland, or defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks might be candidates, Shanahan responded, "I'm going to talk to all these guys. ... [A]ll of them will have a chance."
This week, Tim Kawakami reported that Shanahan and the 49ers could be nearing a decision on who would replace Wilks. That makes sense. The team likely hopes to have someone in place ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine next week in Indianapolis.
Kawakami noted, "Not sure when there'll be an announcement, but could be soon."
