The San Francisco 49ers are once again looking for a new defensive coordinator.
San Francisco, per multiple reports, has come to the decision to relieve Nick Sorensen of his duties, though the 49ers would like to retain him on their staff.
Sorensen was hired as a replacement for Steve Wilks, receiving a promotion from the role of passing game specialist and nickels coach.
The 49ers deemed Wilks was ultimately a poor fit for their scheme despite San Francisco going within one play of winning Super Bowl 58 with him running the defense. Wilks’ play-calling at the end of their overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs came under substantial scrutiny.
But the in-house hire of a coach in Sorensen who has essentially spent his entire coaching career in the scheme did not pay dividends. Per Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Sorensen is well liked, but there seemed to be a sense he was not prepared for the job.
In Sorensen’s first year as a defensive play-caller, the 49ers dropped from fourth in defensive DVOA under Wilks to 13th. Additionally, they went from 10th in Expected Points Added per play on defense in 2023 to 26th, that drop-off underpinned by a dismal performance in run defense, in which they finished 29th in EPA and 25th in success rate.
The 49ers have several personnel problems to fix to address the issues that undermined their defensive efforts in 2024, with the interior defensive line and depth on the edge two pressing concerns.
But, in the more immediate future, head coach Kyle Shanahan, who on Monday fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, is under pressure to get the the hire right after successive one-and-done coaches in the defensive coordinator role.
There are compelling options on the market, with the 49ers’ first defensive coordinator under Shanahan, Robert Saleh, among them following his firing as New York Jets head coach. San Francisco was denied permission to speak to Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced Saleh as the Jets’ interim coach, last offseason, and it would be no surprise if Shanahan again makes an effort to lure the former 49ers linebacker back to the Bay Area.
Regardless of the direction in which the 49ers decide to go, the task for Shanahan is to find an experienced play-caller who is a good fit for their scheme but can also bring their own flavor to the defense, with Sorensen’s struggles to adjust and attack offenses with changeups and disguised coverage one of the biggest knocks against him.
With the 49ers eyeing a bounce-back following a season that fell dismally short of expectations, it is a challenge in which he must succeed. After two successive misfires at defensive coordinator, Shanahan faces the biggest hire of his 49ers career.
