Tag: Nick Sorensen

Another fired 49ers coordinator lands new job

Brian Schneider joined Nick Sorensen among the ranks of fired 49ers coaches who quickly found new jobs.

The San Francisco 49ers fired two coordinators after the 2024 season, and both quickly picked up new jobs.

Former 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, who spent one year in that position, wound up snagging a special teams coordinator job in Dallas. He cut his teeth in the coaching ranks as a special teams assistant, and spent one year as the special teams coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars before joining the 49ers staff as a defensive assistant.

There was some hope from head coach Kyle Shanahan that he’d be able to retain Sorensen to replace fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider.

It took Schneider a little longer to find a new gig, but he landed with the Washington Commanders according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Schneider will take on an assistant special teams coordinator role for Washington, where he’ll reunite with head coach Dan Quinn who was on Pete Carroll’s staff with Schneider in Seattle.

Schneider has been a successful special teams coach in his career, but he struggled to help right a 49ers special teams group that hasn’t had a ton of success during Shanahan’s tenure.

The 49ers replaced Schneider with former New York Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer after they were unable to hold on to Sorensen.

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Cowboys add demoted 49ers coach to Schottenheimer’s staff as ST Coordinator

Dallas is collecting coaches other teams no longer wanted at an alarming rate, this one comes with a twist though. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The Cowboys are wasting little time assembling a staff for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, hiring Nick Sorensen as their special teams coordinator. Sorensen is replacing John Fassel, who held the position for the past five seasons. After spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a defensive assistant in Santa Clara, Sorensen was promoted to the 49ers defensive coordinator position in 2024.

The results weren’t great, leading the 49ers to relieve him of those duties, though they didn’t fire him. Sorensen was still under contract with the 49ers for the 2025 season but San Francisco publicly stated that he would not be the defensive coordinator. The team did want him to return in a different capacity.

The demotion allowed Sorensen to seek employment elsewhere finding refuge with a former colleague.

Sorensen broke into the league as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2013 and held the position before adding assistant defensive back to his resume in 2016.

He was then promoted to DB coach for the 2017 season. The following year, he would help welcome Brian Schottenheimer to the Seattle staff as offensive coordinator where the two would spend the next three seasons battling each other in practice daily.

The connection would continue in 2021 as both coaches would find roles on the Jaguars staff under then-head coach Urban Meyer; Schottenheimer as Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach and Sorensen as special teams coordinator.

Sorensen played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back, appearing in 131 games before turning to coaching.

Fired 49ers DC lands new coordinator job with Cowboys

The former 49ers defensive coordinator is set to take a new role with the rival Cowboys.

After one season as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen has landed a new role with an NFC rival. After being fired as the 49ers defensive coordinator, Sorenson is reportedly set to join Brian Schottenheimer’s new staff in Dallas as the Cowboys special teams coordinator.

Via @TomPelissero on Twitter:

Despite losing his title as defensive coordinator, Sorensen was reportedly considered for the 49ers opening at special teams coordinator. However, Shanahan and John Lynch opted to hire former New York Jets assistant Brant Boyer.

Via @MaioccorNBCS on Twitter:

Following a college career at Virginia Tech, Sorensen played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back. In 2013, Sorensen joined the Seattle Seahawks staff as a coach. After one season as the Jacksonville Jaguars special teams coordinator in 2021, Sorensen joined Kyle Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco as a defensive assistant. I

n 2024, Sorensen was named defensive coordinator in San Francisco. After a rough stretch to end the 2024 season, Sorensen was fired as defensive coordinator of the 49ers.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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How 49ers can avoid another potential DC search in 2026

Even though Robert Saleh is returning, it may not be for multiple years.

The San Francisco 49ers are re-hiring Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator.

While Saleh looks like a home-run hire given his success with the 49ers as their DC and a rapid turnaround for the New York Jets defense in Saleh’s second year as their head coach, he may also only stick around for one season.

Saleh received three interviews for head coach openings in the 2025 cycle. He figures to be a hot candidate again in the 2026 offseason assuming he helps the 49ers defense return to something close to championship form.

That wouldn’t have been a reason to pass him over. After all, the 49ers didn’t have many other viable options who check the boxes they’re aiming to check with their next DC hire. However, it does highlight the need to have a DC-in-waiting on the coaching staff.

When Saleh left the 49ers for the Jets after the 2020 season, the 49ers knew linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans was going to step into that role and he did so with rousing success. He wound up only working as the 49ers’ DC for two years before landing the head coaching job with the Houston Texans.

When Ryans exited, the 49ers had no such internal plan. They hired veteran defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, but he was let go after one season. San Francisco then tried giving defensive pass game specialist/nickels coach Nick Sorensen a shot. He was also fired after one year.

Now with Saleh returning, the 49ers need to look at their internal staff and identify another coach who can step in after Saleh. There’s a very real chance he finds another head coaching spot in 2026, and San Francisco would be smart to ensure they have a replacement lined up instead of filling time in another offseason looking for a DC.

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Fired 49ers DC won’t stay with team despite Kyle Shanahan’s wishes

Nick Sorensen isn’t staying on the 49ers coaching staff.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t get his wish to retain fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, Sorensen won’t be returning to the 49ers coaching staff after being fired as their defensive coordinator after the 2024 season. Shanahan told reporters at his end of season press conference that he hoped Sorensen would stay on the staff, possibly as the special teams coordinator.

Maiocco in that same report said the 49ers interviewed former New York Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.

Boyer, 53, spent nine years as the Jets’ special teams coordinator, including the three seasons Robert Saleh was there as the head coach. Prior to joining the Jets, Boyer was an assistant special teams coach with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-15.

Adding an experienced special teams coach should be a priority for San Francisco given their need for some stability at that spot after a rocky 2024 campaign. It says a lot about Boyer that he was on staff with three different head coaches in New York.

Boyer is also a former NFL player who was a sixth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1994. He spent 10 years in the NFL with the Dolphins, Jaguars and Browns. The linebacker played in 130 games and posted 323 tackles, 13.0 sacks and six interceptions.

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49ers have perfect avenue to keep recently-fired DC on coaching staff

Nick Sorensen was fired as the 49ers DC, but he may take on a new role on the coaching staff.

Nick Sorensen was fired from his role as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator after one season, but his time with the club may not be over.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference confirmed that Sorensen would no longer be the team’s DC, but he noted he thinks highly of Sorensen as a coach and hopes to keep him on the coaching staff.

“Yeah. First of all, it was a real tough decision,” said Shanahan. “I love Nick as a person and I love him as a coach. 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 good news for Shanahan is there’s a logical avenue to keep Sorensen on-staff.

San Francisco also fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, and Shanahan told reporters in his press conference that Sorensen is a candidate to fill that role.

Sorensen has a ton of experience as a pro coach on special teams units. His first NFL job came under Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as an assistant special teams coach from 2013-16. Prior to joining the 49ers he was the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.

While Sorensen may have not been fully prepared to be a defensive coordinator, his special teams experience and familiarity with the 49ers roster could make him a prime candidate to turn around one of the league’s worst special teams units.

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Brandon Staley to receive another interview with 49ers for DC opening

The 49ers are set to interview assistant head coach Brandon Staley for their DC job.

2025 will be the second consecutive offseason where the San Francisco 49ers will conduct a search for a new defensive coordinator.

It will also be the second consecutive offseason they’ll interview former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley for the position. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday in a press conference told reporters Staley would be one of the internal candidates San Francisco considers as they aim to replace the recently-fired Nick Sorensen.

Staley didn’t land the 49ers’ DC job last season, but his interview went well enough that he wound up as an assistant head coach. It’s unclear how much influence he had on San Francisco’s defense in 2024, but given that Sorensen was let go and Staley is getting an interview, it stands to reason his voice wasn’t prominent enough to have an adverse impact on his prospects of landing the DC gig.

Prior to becoming the Chargers’ head coach, Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. That season LA finished No. 1 in both yards and points allowed en route to divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

His defensive success didn’t translate to his tenure as a head coach where the Chargers finished no higher than 20th in yards allowed and no higher than 21st in points allowed across his three seasons in charge.

A move to Staley as the DC would spark a significant change in the 49ers’ scheme. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers have reliably run a 4-3 base defense in the Pete Carroll vein. Staley’s background uses a 3-4 base after he came up in the NFL under former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Perhaps that’s the kind of change San Francisco wants to undergo in the offseason, but it would make more sense if they aimed for a coach like Robert Saleh or Jeff Ulbrich who would provide a less dramatic shift on that side of the ball.

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49ers fire defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after 1 season

Another new DC for the 49ers…

The San Francisco 49ers have made another major move on their coaching staff.

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows on Tuesday reported the 49ers fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after one season. It’s the second time in as many offseasons San Francisco has parted ways with a defensive coordinator.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported the team will try to retain Sorensen on its defensive coaching staff. Sorensen joined the 49ers in 2022 as a defensive assistant. He was promoted to defensive passing game specialist and nickel cornerbacks coach in 2023 before being named defensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Sorensen and the 49ers’ defense multiple times during the season despite the team’s struggles on that side of the ball.

“I think Nick has done a good job as a coach,” said Shanahan on December 28 before the team’s Week 17 matchup with the Detroit Lions. “No one’s happy with our results by any means. I think he’s been thrown in a number of situations that I think will make him better going forward. I’ve watched him adjust to a bunch of different situations, kind of be in a couple situations on a couple games when there wasn’t much of an answer, and he still had to try to find one. So, I think this year was good for him. I know he is going to be a good coach and better for it going forward.”

While injuries and player absences had an impact, it was clear there were regular communication issues and schematic errors. Ultimately Shanahan determined the team needed to find someone new at that spot.

Sorensen addressed the communication problems in what would be his final press conference leading up to Week 18.

“Yeah, we just, it’s frustrating,” said Sorensen. “And then that’s why those veteran guys say that, we’re all frustrated with it. It shows up and it’s, sometimes it’s different people, but it’s immediately they know that they shouldn’t have done that. So a lot of it is, the continue to push is the pre-snap communication is everything because most guys, if he’s off the ball, he’s probably going to move. So there’s got to be, we just have to keep being better at it. And it’s, you can’t do it after the play. It’s got to happen before. And then when it happens, someone starts moving during the play then you’ve already expected it, you’ve already pre-thought it. It’s just something we’ve got to keep getting better at. And it hasn’t, it’s kind of shown up in critical parts of critical games.”

Sorensen’s defense in his first year as a coordinator finished 29th in points allowed in part because they gave up 87 in the final two weeks. They also finished eighth in yards allowed, but the biggest issue may have been their inability to generate takeaways. San Francisco was 20th in takeaways and created only two in the final eight weeks.

This is the second-consecutive offseason the 49ers will need to search for a new DC. Steve Wilks was let go after just one season, setting the table for a high standard at that spot on the coaching staff.

It’s unclear who the 49ers have in mind to replace him. Most notably, former 49ers DC Robert Saleh is available after being fired as the Jets head coach mid-season. The Cincinnati Bengals also let go of DC Lou Anarumo. They’re both experienced with strong track records, and it stands to reason the 49ers will be looking to check those two boxes with their new lead defensive coach.

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Will Kyle Shanahan, 49ers fire another defensive coordinator?

Nick Sorensen doesn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon.

One of the side effects of the San Francisco 49ers disastrous 2024 season has been an increasingly bright spotlight on the coaching staff.

While head coach Kyle Shanahan earned his share of scrutiny, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen has come under fire after the 49ers defense allowed a combined 73 points across Weeks 12 and 13 in losses to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.

Despite a pair of putrid defensive performances, Shanahan backed his defensive coordinator in a Monday conference call.

“Yeah, I’m very satisfied with Nick,” Shanahan said. “I’m not at all satisfied with the results and how it’s going right now. But, some of the mistakes that we’ve made, I don’t think or what’s happened here in these last two weeks, I don’t think that’s a schematic issue. It’s a little bit more of a fundamental issue. And that also starts with me. That goes to all coaching, and it goes down to the players, it goes to everyone in this building. But the results here these last two weeks haven’t changed my opinion on Nick.”

The 49ers parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after last season, so it makes sense Shanahan wouldn’t be eager to make another change in the coming offseason.

It’s also worth noting Sorensen is a first-time defensive coordinator and that Robert Saleh dealt with a couple of rough seasons before breaking out a star DC and head coaching candidate in 2019.

What’s clear, if Sorensen is indeed sticking around, the 49ers need something to change defensively. If it isn’t the defensive play caller, then it’s either a schematic shift that needs to happen or a personnel overhaul.

Even before their two-week meltdown there was a clear issue with a once-dominant San Francisco defense this season. How they go about making those changes will ultimately determine Sorensen’s future, and perhaps the future of the Shanahan era.

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49ers defensive coordinator gets vote of confidence from Kyle Shanahan

Robert Saleh back to the 49ers? Don’t bank on it.

An interesting potential wrinkle was thrown into the San Francisco 49ers’ season on Tuesday when news broke that the New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh.

Saleh was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator through the 2020 season before the Jets made him their head coach. As the 49ers’ defense has struggled in 2024, there have been some questions about whether new DC Nick Sorensen is up for the task of righting San Francisco’s defensive ship.

Concerns about Sorensen combined with Saleh hitting the free agent market made a potential mid-season reunion between the 49ers and their old DC a popular talking point on social media. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about Sorensen on Tuesday in a press conference and gave the defensive coordinator a strong vote of confidence.

“I think Nick’s doing a real good job,” Shanahan said. “I’ve been impressed with him since the beginning. Each week, I like how he handles the defensive staff. I like how they set up the practices and I’ve liked his game plans and I liked how he’s called it. So I’ve been real happy with Nick so far.”

Defensive end Nick Bosa after the 49ers’ 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals mentioned that he didn’t think the club made the right in-game adjustments. Shanahan also pushed back on that in his Monday conference call, again backing his most recent DC hire.

While there may be some question marks around Sorensen as he wades into deeper waters in his first season as a coordinator, it’s clear the 49ers aren’t ready to make a dramatic change to their coaching staff. Given some of their roster limitations and injuries on the defensive side, it makes sense that Shanahan wouldn’t want to hit the eject button on the DC just yet.

However, if players continue expressing doubts about Sorensen’s management of the game, the 49ers may try turning to a more trusted voice like Saleh’s if they determine a change is necessary.

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