San Francisco 49ers: The team will search for their third defensive coordinator in as many seasons

For the first time since 2020, the San Francisco 49ers did not finish the season with a winning record. In 2024, they finished 6-11. That is their most losses in a season since 2018. This all happened a year after San Francisco finished 12-5 and was the runner-up in the Super Bowl. 

Injuries played a massive factor in why the 49ers had half as many wins in 2024 as they did in 2023. Head coach Kyle Shanahan calls the plays for San Francisco. Nick Sorenson was the defensive coordinator in 2024. However, the team is not retaining Sorenson in 2025. The 49ers will search for their third defensive coordinator in as many seasons. San Francisco is still a contender in the NFC and they need to find the right defensive coordinator.

Can the 49ers find a long-term defensive coordinator moving forward?

#49ers Nick Sorensen is a possible candidate to become the new Special teams coordinator with the team likely wanting to retain him on the staff 👀

H/T @mattbarrows pic.twitter.com/jWVslTUaoO

— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) January 8, 2025

From 2021-2022, DeMeco Ryans was the defensive coordinator for the 49ers. He’s since left and took the head coaching job with Houston. For the 2023 season, the Niners hired Steve Wilks to be their defensive coordinator. In 2023, San Francisco finished 12-5 and the team was the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The 49ers made a run to the Super Bowl and lost in OT to the Chiefs. After the season, Wilks was not retained as the defensive coordinator.

To replace Steve Wilks, the Niners promoted from within and Nick Sorenson was hired as the new DC. He has been on Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff since 2022. In 2023, Sorenson was the defensive passing game specialist/nickel-backs coach. This was his first season as a full-time defensive coordinator in the NFL. San Francisco finished 6-11 and did not make the postseason. Nick Sorenson is not coming back as DC in 2025 but Shanahan wants to keep him on the coaching staff. They hope Sorenson can stay with the Niners and be their special teams coordinator. That’s a position he held in 2021 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We’ll see if Sorenson stays with San Francisco or takes another job this offseason. In the meantime, the Niners will begin their search for a new DC.