Kyle Shanahan names says it was a ‘real tough decision’ to move on from Nick Sorensen
We know the San Francisco 49ers are on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator after moving on from Nick Sorensen after one year. On Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he loves Nick as a person and a coach and that it was a “real tough decision” to make a change at defensive coordinator.
Shanahan explained why he’s still trying to keep Sorensen on the staff and why he feels like the 49ers can end up with a better option at defensive coordinator:
“Still trying to hope to keep him on board in another capacity, because he is a guy I don’t want to lose. But just where we’re at, really as a team, where I think we need to go. There are a lot of big decisions ahead for us. And as hard as it is for me to come to this conclusion, but I feel there are some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we’re in for our team.
And when really it comes down to that, in the position I’m in, regardless of anything else, that’s always the stuff I’ve got to go with. So, it was a real tough decision for me, and I’m still hoping that we can keep Nick here, but I do feel there are some other avenues that in the long run will be better for the 49ers.”
The short-term fix with the previous two hires did not work. We know that Robert Saleh is a candidate who is expected to receive an offer.
Saleh’s fingerprints on the defense are ubiquitous. He was never a big blitzer and evolved into more of a quarters-coverage kind of defense in his latter years.
It would be an easy transition and a seamless hire, but shouldn’t the goal be to change the scheme and move away from the reasons Sorensen didn’t pan out?
It also seems that Saleh is worthy of a head coaching job. Reverting back to the 49ers defensive coordinator would be a step in the wrong career direction. I don’t blame Saleh for “failing” under the Jets when every person who leaves that organization trends upward.
Another hire from last season, Brandon Staley, has a defense that would constitute a scheme change. When asked whether there are any internal candidates, Shanahan said, “I’ll give Staley a shot. I just talked to him; he’s been here.”
Staley is known to be adaptable and aggressive, especially on third downs. Shanahan faced Staley with Jimmy Garoppolo under center and Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. Staley’s 6-1 front covered the A and C gaps and dared the Niners to run between the guards. McCaffrey finished the game with 38 yards on 14 carries.
Staley is a disciple of Vic Fangio. This season, the Philadelphia Eagles disguised their middle-of-the-field coverages 39 percent of the time, the second-highest rate in the NFL. The 49ers, at 21.7 percent, were 27th. Based on what he and Fangio have done historically, including in 2024, a Staley hire would signal more 2-high safety looks with cornerbacks in the faces of receivers.
Staley has seen the personnel practice daily for a year, understands what Shanahan wants, and has experience, unlike Sorensen. Shanahan said having experience is “definitely a bonus for me,” but also said the current scheme the 49ers run is as good as it gets when healthy:
“I love the scheme that we’ve had here. I think it’s one of the hardest things to go to when you’ve got the right guys in the right spots. But, I do think people adjust to schemes, and I think you have to adjust, too, depending on your personnel. And I think that was a tougher thing for us this year.
Just going into the season, it was a little bit harder than past seasons and some of the injuries we had, I think, made it really tough for Nick. And I thought he got better trying to adjust and do different things, but I do think that’s something that definitely, I’m not saying you’ve got to change schemes, but you have to have the ability, the history and the knowledge of how to change some stuff up when you’re in some certain situations. And I think that we do need that more going forward.”
If the 49ers hire Staley, defensive tackle becomes a top need this offseason.