Ensuring a smooth transition from DeMeco Ryans to his replacement was a priority for the San Francisco 49ers. It was so crucial that head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to involve at least one valued member of the defensive coaching staff.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that the 49ers had defensive line coach Kris Kocurek spend time with Steve Wilks during his interview on Monday before hiring the former Carolina Panthers interim head coach as the team's new defensive coordinator.
Barrows notes that continuing to run the Wide 9 and ensuring the coaching personalities meshed well together was a top priority for the Niners.
I heard Steve Wilks spent time with Kris Kocurek during his recent interview. 49ers *love* Kocurek and the Wide 9, so making sure all the pieces, personalities were compatible was a top priority.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) February 7, 2023
Josina Anderson reported that the 49ers were mulling over the possibility of promoting Kocurek to defensive coordinator before interviewing Wilks. However, Kocurek has never expressed a desire to move past coaching defensive lines.
"D-line is my passion," Kocurek said last year. "… When I was younger, first three or four years in the league, I took every single note I could possibly take on coverages and all this stuff, and then I'd be taking notes on coverages, and I was watching the D-line. Since I was in middle school, I've always put my hand in the ground, something I have a passion for and something that I really don't see changing."
When asked what he was looking for in a new defensive coordinator, Shanahan stressed maintaining continuity within the coaching staff.
"I love our defensive staff. I love our defense," Shanahan said. "I'm trying to get something where we don't have to turn much over. I would love to keep our same staff, so I'm going to talk to some guys on our staff. I'm going to talk to some guys outside of our staff, and hopefully, whichever way we decide to go, whether we bring in a new guy or not, that it's someone who can work with who we have and what we've accomplished here because I love the scheme that we run.
"And I feel the foundation we have on the D-line, at linebacker, at corner, at safety, I think our players fit very well in it too, so I'm hoping to find someone who fits with us personality-wise and scheme-wise."
The 49ers also interviewed former Washington Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris and Shanahan reportedly spoke with Vic Fangio, who accepted the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator job.