FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have completed an interview with Steve Wilks, the organization announced Friday.
Wilks is the sixth candidate to be interviewed for the Falcons' vacant defensive coordinator position. He joins the likes of Jeff Ulbrich, Don “Wink” Martindale and others vying for the job.
A longtime and respected defensive mind, Wilks would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience if hired. Let's get to know him a little bit more.
Last stop: Defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers (2023 season)
Resume highlights:
- Carolina Panthers, 2012-17: Wilks held the position of defensive backs coach (2012-14), assistant head coach and defensive backs coach (2015-16) and assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2017).
- Arizona Cardinals, 2018: Wilks was named head coach in January 2018.
- Carolina Panthers, 2022 (second stint): Wilks began the season as the defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach before spending the final six games of the season as the interim head coach.
Local connection: This is not the first time Wilks has interviewed for a position on a Falcons staff. It's not even the second time.
Wilks has been interviewing with Atlanta for various positions for a few coaching cycles now. Back in Jan. 2023, Wilks interviewed for the Falcons' open defensive coordinator position following the retirement of then-coordinator Dean Pees. The Falcons ended up going with first-time coordinator Ryan Neilsen. A year later, after the team parted ways with Arthur Smith as head coach, Wilks was back in the interview process with Atlanta, this time for the open position of head coach. The Falcons ended up going with Raheem Morris.
Now, Wilks is back, interviewing once more for an open defensive coordinator spot.
It's more than obvious Wilks wants to be in Atlanta, having interviewed with the organization as many times he has. He's also shown his interest in other ways, having visited the facility and attending training camp practices this past preseason.
Is the third time around really the charm for Wilks and Atlanta?
Why he's a candidate: As stated in the opening graphs of this article, Wilks' resume speaks for itself by way of both experience and overall respect in the league.
He's been a head coach and coordinator, leading the charge for defensive units with varying degrees of talent. He's orchestrated top defenses and also led a turnaround for a struggling team, which he did as interim head coach of the Panthers in 2022.
But what should be taken from Wilks interviewing with the Falcons is that he's someone these decision-makers know well.
General manager Terry Fontenot held his training camp press conference around the time Wilks was spotted at practice. When asked about it, Fontenot was quick to say Wilks is greatly respected in the building.
"We love Steve Wilks," Fontenot said. "Really respect him."
Fontenot said he ribbed Wilks a little bit for having to just stand and watch like him from the sideline. Wilks didn't have a job in the league in 2024, and was back in his hometown as a volunteer advisor for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers.
"To be able to come and look at (practice) from a bubble, it's funny," Fontenot said. "I was teasing him during practice, because it's hard when you're back there, and you see, you want to jump on the field and coach. When you're a coach, that's what he does, and so it's probably hard for him not to be getting his hands dirty out there, but just have a lot of respect for him, and Raheem's great about that, opening his door to coaches."
Strikes against: The divorce between Wilks and the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the 2023 was… odd.
In a season in which the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl, head coach Kyle Shanahan chose not to retain Wilks as defensive coordinator. This decision came after San Francisco's defense ranked in the top-10 in total defense, top-15 in pass defense and was the third-best in the league in stopping the run as well as points allowed — all strong positives for Wilks.
Three days after the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, however, Shanahan made the announcement that the organization would not continue with Wilks as defensive coordinator. Afterwards, Shanahan made his reasons for doing so clear.
"(It was a) really tough decision because it really says nothing about Steve as a man or as a football coach," Shanahan said. "He is 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, through these last few days, I felt pretty strongly that this was the decision that was best for our organization. And even though it was one I didn't want to make, it was something that once I realized that I think a different direction is what's best for organization, then it's something that I have to do."
Does this mean anything more than what Shanahan described? That it was time to part ways because the 49ers wanted to go in a different direction schematically? Perhaps not. But when looking at a candidate fully, it's a part of their story that at least needs to be looked into.
