Steve Wilks was fired by the 49ers; Kyle Shanahan explains why.

I just want to get back again with you folks, hello. I know we got together yesterday, but I wasn’t sure which way to go with a few things yesterday, so I wasn’t ready to talk about them just yet. I’ve been thinking about this for a few nights, trying to come up with some difficult choices. However, I dismissed [former defensive coordinator] Steve Wilks of his responsibilities this morning. I’m going to switch around with the defensive coordinator at the end. It was a very difficult choice because it doesn’t really tell anything about Steve’s character as a guy or as a football coach. He’s the perfect man we’ve always wanted. He coaches football really well. However, considering our team’s direction and current status from a scheme perspective and other aspects, as well as considering the entire year and the last few days, I felt very strongly that this was the right course of action for our company. And even though it was a decision I didn’t want to make, I had to make it after realizing that I believed taking a different path would be better for the business. I told him this morning as a result. I apologize for not being able to inform you all yesterday; however, I am now certain. That is true. I wanted to personally inform everyone of you. I’ll now take questions about it.

Is it related because he entered the building from the outside and was unfamiliar with the method that you guys had been using effectively for a long time before this?

Indeed, it was the most difficult aspect. It was a struggle, I knew. It was difficult. Losing DeMeco [Ryans], the head coach of the Houston Texans, and Robert Saleh, the head coach of the New York Jets, the year before was extremely difficult. However, we had made a commitment to the players who had already been a part of the system, namely our linebackers and D-Line. They had spent so much time playing in it. So, I wanted to avoid having to make every adjustment possible. And introducing Steve, who was amazing in his loyalty and his attempt to achieve it, but it just didn’t work out. And while I was hurting, I had no choice but to do this.

So now, do you search inside the structure or do you go outside for individuals who are knowledgeable about that system?

We’ll carry out both. There are several excellent coaches here. Without a doubt, I’ll peek outdoors as well. I have a lot of tasks to complete in preparation for the interview process. However, I had to really invest a lot of effort in this decision since it wasn’t a simple one. I’ll begin working on the interview process and other related tasks now that I’ve had that talk with Steve this morning, in an effort to determine who would be the best fit for our group.

The first coordinator you had who kind of had a different experience working with DBs and stuff like that was Steve. Do you believe that there was a disconnect of some type because there wasn’t a linebacker who could effectively link the front and the back there? Was that a factor in this case?

Indeed, I believe it was. That isn’t the only reason, in my opinion; his background includes DBs. All I can think of is our style of playing linebacker and similar positions. And the manner in which [LB] Dre [Greenlaw] and [LB] Fred [Warner] have coached it here throughout the years. Although there isn’t a single right method to accomplish things, you want to connect the dots. Steve was always trying to do it. That’s beyond a doubt. However, it was unnecessary to make it more difficult because of his past and how it came to be with us. I thought it would be better if we took a different course.