The reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers have reportedly found their new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Steve Wilks following the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. ESPN reports that the 49ers plan to promote Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator, and also add former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley to their staff.
Sorensen served as San Francisco's defensive passing game/nickels coach in 2023. He is a former NFL defensive back who played 10 seasons with the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. After his playing days were over, Sorensen jumped into coaching, and served as an assistant special teams coach/defensive backs coach with the Seattle Seahawks, special teams coordinator with the Jaguars and defensive assistant/pass game coordinator with the 49ers. He has been with San Francisco for two seasons now.
As for Staley, ESPN reports he will have a prominent staff role -- potentially assistant head coach. Staley served as the head coach of the Chargers from 2021-23, and was fired this past December. In all, Staley went 24-24 in L.A., and 0-1 in the postseason. Staley previously worked as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, and served as an outside linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos. His Rams finished No. 1 in yards allowed per game during his one season as DC in 2020, but his Chargers defenses never finished better than 20th during his three years as lead man.
The 49ers had the No. 8 defense in 2023, with 303.9 yards of total offense allowed per game. Despite having the No. 3 rush defense in the regular season, the 49ers allowed the most rushing yards per game (159.0) in a postseason by a team entering the Super Bowl since the 1966 Green Bay Packers.
