Earlier today, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks concluded his interview with the Los Angeles Chargers for their head coaching position. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Wilks has also finished his interview for the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons.
After interviewing with the Chargers earlier today, 49ers' defensive coordinator Steve Wilks now has completed his head coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2024
The Chargers and the Falcons are the only teams officially known to have requested permission to speak with Wilks about their coaching vacancies. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan recently mentioned that other teams have shown interest in his coordinator.
"I've been getting a lot of phone calls and stuff, so I know there's a lot more people interested, but you got to go through the process of formally requesting an interview, and I've only got that from the Chargers so far," Shanahan said.
With two interviews completed, Wilks will redirect his focus to the 49ers' playoff run unless there are more requests from other teams. Next weekend at Levi's Stadium, the team will host the lowest-seeded NFC winner from the Wild Card round — either the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Should Wilks decide to depart after the playoffs, Shanahan will be on the lookout for a new coordinator for the fourth consecutive year. In the past, he lost Robert Saleh to the New York Jets in 2021, Mike McDaniel to the Miami Dolphins in 2022, and DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans in 2023.
Wilks' 49ers defense finished the regular season ranked eighth in yards allowed, third in points allowed, third in rushing yards allowed, and 14th in passing yards allowed.