"The only one on this list who's officially available, Steve Wilks began the season as the Jets defensive coordinator but was fired after a Week 14 loss to the Jaguars. Wilks' defense had not been performing well this season, but it was also the first year of a rebuild and he watched his two best players - Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner - get dealt at the deadline. It's hard to know what exactly Jets leadership expected from Wilks."
"Wilks built his reputation as one of the architects of the Panthers defense in the Ron Rivera years, coaching up a secondary that routinely overachieved. He later became the Panthers interim head coach following Matt Rhule's firing, and Carolina finished 6-6 under his leadership and came dangerously close to making the playoffs. When he was passed over for Frank Reich, who didn't even last one full season as head coach, Wilks joined the 49ers to run their defense."
"There, Wilks maintained San Francisco's defensive dominance, as they finished fourth in defensive DVOA and ninth in EPA/play. Yet Wilks was fired the day after losing in the Super Bowl, with Kyle Shanahan citing a desire for someone more familiar with their players. He replaced Wilks with Nick Sorensen, who obviously didn't work out since he's now coaching special teams in Dallas; the 49ers dropped all the way to 18th in defensive DVOA and 26th in EPA/play without Wilks."
Cowboys are unlikely to change coaching staff until the regular season ends, while fans compile wish lists for defensive coordinator replacements. One available candidate is Steve Wilks, who began this season as the Jets defensive coordinator and was fired after a Week 14 loss to the Jaguars. His Jets defense struggled during a first-year rebuild in which Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner were traded. Wilks has a strong NFL track record and employs an aggressive, blitz-oriented scheme that fits Dallas personnel. He earned recognition coaching the Panthers secondary, served as Carolina's interim head coach, and later ran the 49ers defense, which ranked fourth in defensive DVOA and ninth in EPA per play under his direction.
Read at Blogging The Boys
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