During the San Francisco 49ers' end-of-season press conference, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Nick Sorensen would not return as the team's defensive coordinator in 2025.
"First of all, it was a real tough decision," Shanahan said. "I love Nick as a person, and I love him as a coach."
While Sorensen won't return in his current role, the 49ers hope to retain him in some capacity. Shanahan noted he is a candidate for the team's vacant special teams coordinator position.
"Still trying to hope to keep him on board in another capacity because he's a guy I don't want to lose," Shanahan continued. "But just where we're at, really, as a team, where I think we need to go, there's a lot of big decisions ahead for us.
"As hard as it is for me to come to this conclusion, but I feel there's some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we're in for our team."
In addition to ending Sorensen's previous role, the 49ers fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider this week. Sorensen would bring experience to the role, having spent one season (2021) as the special teams coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars and three seasons (2013-2015) as the assistant special teams coach with the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers are giving Sorensen time to consider his future and determine if staying with the team in a different role is the best choice for him and his family.
"I know our building would be comfortable with it," Shanahan said. "I know our players would be comfortable with it. This was a tough year, but Nick didn't lose any respect or anything like that from any of our players or our coaches."
Shanahan also mentioned that while 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley will be given the opportunity to interview for the defensive coordinator position for the second consecutive season, the team plans to interview several external candidates for the role.
Shanahan was asked whether he would consider changing the 49ers' defensive scheme.
"I love the scheme that we've had here," Shanahan responded. "I think it's one of the hardest things to go [against] when you've got the right guys in the right spots. But I do think people adjust to the schemes, and I think you have to adjust, too, depending on your personnel, and I think that was a tougher thing for us this year.
"Just going into the season, it was a little bit harder than past seasons, and some of the injuries we had, I think, made it really tough for Nick. And I thought he got better trying to adjust and do different things.
"But I do think that's something that, definitely, I'm not saying you gotta change schemes, but you have to have the ability, the history, and the knowledge of how to change some stuff up when you're in some certain situations. And I think that we do need that more going forward."