Nick Sorensen was fired from his role as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator after one season, but his time with the club may not be over.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference confirmed that Sorensen would no longer be the team’s DC, but he noted he thinks highly of Sorensen as a coach and hopes to keep him on the coaching staff.

“Yeah. First of all, it was a real tough decision,” said Shanahan. “I love Nick as a person and I love him as a coach. Still trying to hope to keep him on board in another capacity, because he is a guy I don’t want to lose. But just where we’re at, really as a team, where I think we need to go. There are a lot of big decisions ahead for us. And as hard as it is for me to come to this conclusion, but I feel there are some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we’re in for our team. And when really it comes down to that, in the position I’m in, regardless of anything else, that’s always the stuff I’ve got to go with. So, it was a real tough decision for me, and I’m still hoping that we can keep Nick here, but I do feel there are some other avenues that in the long run will be better for the 49ers.”

The good news for Shanahan is there’s a logical avenue to keep Sorensen on-staff.

San Francisco also fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, and Shanahan told reporters in his press conference that Sorensen is a candidate to fill that role.

Sorensen has a ton of experience as a pro coach on special teams units. His first NFL job came under Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as an assistant special teams coach from 2013-16. Prior to joining the 49ers he was the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.

While Sorensen may have not been fully prepared to be a defensive coordinator, his special teams experience and familiarity with the 49ers roster could make him a prime candidate to turn around one of the league’s worst special teams units.