Sources – 49ers to advertise Sorensen to DC, add Staley to employees

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After a deliberate search involving each inner and exterior candidates, the San Francisco 49ers have their new defensive coordinator. And that is not the one important addition to the group’s teaching employees.

Sources advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Saturday that the Niners are selling Nick Sorensen, the group’s defensive move sport specialist and nickel cornerbacks coach, to defensive coordinator, a job that was open after the dismissal of Steve Wilks on Feb. 14. The group additionally is predicted to rent former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley as assistant head coach, sources mentioned.

On the NFL scouting mix in Indianapolis this week, 49ers basic supervisor John Lynch mentioned the group was in “no rush” to rent a coordinator however reiterated what coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned when he introduced Wilks’ firing that San Francisco did not need to stray removed from what it has finished defensively for the previous seven years.

“We all know who we’re, who we will be, and that is not going to make a wholesale schematic change there,” Lynch mentioned. “We be ok with the place we’re at.”

Lynch’s phrases appeared to level to the chance of an in-house rent on condition that one motive Shanahan moved on from Wilks was his struggles to adapt to the defensive scheme San Francisco had utilized in earlier years below former coordinators Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans.

In Sorensen, the Niners ought to be capable of retain the continuity Shanahan and Lynch have sought. Though this shall be Sorensen’s first time as a coordinator, he has been with the Niners since 2022 when he joined the employees as a defensive assistant. In his second season, he was promoted to defensive move sport specialist and put answerable for the nickelbacks.

Sorensen’s earlier duties with the Niners have included working the group’s weekly assembly referred to as “The Ball,” which places an emphasis on successful the turnover battle.

Earlier than his arrival in San Francisco, Sorensen spent the 2021 season because the Jacksonville Jaguars’ particular groups coach. Earlier than that, Sorensen was assistant particular groups coach, assistant defensive backs coach and secondary coach for eight years (2013-20) with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sorensen’s historical past working with Pete Carroll in Seattle was maybe most precious contemplating the Niners run a model of that defensive scheme, which is targeted on an attacking entrance 4 paired with principally zone protection on the again finish.

In Staley, the 49ers are including one other skilled voice to their employees. As assistant head coach, Staley would exchange Anthony Lynn, who left San Francisco after two seasons to turn out to be the run sport coordinator and working backs coach of the Washington Commanders.

Staley spent the previous two-plus seasons because the Chargers coach however earlier than that was the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2020 and had beforehand labored as the skin linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears (2017-18) and Denver Broncos (2019).

Whereas Staley’s defensive background is completely different from what the Niners do schematically, Lynch mentioned in Indianapolis that would not preclude Staley from being a possible addition to the employees.

“He is a extremely shiny dude,” Lynch mentioned. “We’ve an open thoughts, however we do know there’s sure core ideas that we will all the time be on the defensive aspect. … I would not rule him out due to that.”

Together with Sorensen, Staley was one in every of 5 identified interviews for the defensive coordinator job. The Niners additionally spoke with secondary coach Daniel Bullocks, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt and Las Vegas Raiders safeties coach Gerald Alexander.