Kyle Shanahan changes mind as San Francisco 49ers fire coach just days after Super Bowl defea
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made a number of changes to his coaching staff just days after the Super Bowl LVIII defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed he dismissed defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following Super Bowl LVIII – despite suggesting he expected all staff to return for 2024.
On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22 in the Super Bowl to clinch a third win in five years. Patrick Mahomes was the star of the show, throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns as he was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career.
The defeat adds to Shanahan’s Super Bowl woes. He has now lost two Super Bowls as a head coach, both times to the Chiefs while was also the offensive coordinator when the Atlanta Falcons lost to the New England Patriots in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
The defeat adds to Shanahan’s Super Bowl woes. He has now lost two Super Bowls as a head coach, both times to the Chiefs while was also the offensive coordinator when the Atlanta Falcons lost to the New England Patriots in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
READ MORE: Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce posts heartfelt message after Super Bowl LVIII parade shooting
Shanahan is already making changes to his team, just three days after the game in Las Vegas. He decided to let go of Wilks, who had only been hired a year ago to replace DeMeco Ryans after he became the head coach of the Houston Texans.
During a conference call, Shanahan announced: “This morning I relieved Steve Wilks of his duties. [We’re] going to end up making a change here at defensive coordinator. A really tough decision, because [it] really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach. I mean, he’s exactly what we wanted as a man. He is a great football coach.
“But just where we’re going and where we’re at with our team from a scheme standpoint and things like that, looking through it all throughout the year to these last few days, I felt pretty strongly that this was a decision that was best for the organization.”
While Shanahan had previously said he expected all coaches to return, letting go of Wilks shows he’s ready to make big changes. The 44-year-old wants to win the Super Bowl with the 49ers next season to end a 30-year drought for the iconic franchise.
