CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Wilks won't be out of work much longer, as the Panthers' former interim coach is expected to become the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Wilks will replace the outgoing DeMeco Ryans, who took the Houston Texans' head coaching job, according to NFL insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
The Charlotte native was 6-6 as Carolina's interim coach. He was one of three finalists who interviewed twice for the team's head coaching vacancy, along with now-Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Panthers head coach Frank Reich.
"It was an honor for me to coach these men in the Carolina Panthers locker room as the interim head coach," Wilks said. "I took pride in representing Charlotte, a great city that I love so much. Thank you to my family, friends and the community for your overwhelming support."
Wilks had the support of many players after he turned the team around following a 1-4 start. The Panthers were in contention to win the NFC Sout heading into the last two weeks of the season before a loss to Tampa Bay eliminated them.
Shortly after the Panthers announced Reich would be the next head coach, a law firm representing Wilks voiced its displeasure with Tepper's choice.
"We are shocked and disturbed that after the incredible job Coach Wilks did as the interim coach, including bringing the team back into Playoff contention and garnering the support of the players and fans, that he was passed over for the Head Coach position by David Tepper," Widgor Law's Twitter account posted. "There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL, and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days."
Wilks joined two other Black coaches in a lawsuit last April against the NFL alleging racist hiring practices. The lawsuit came on the heels of Brian Flores' firing by the Miami Dolphins after back-to-back winning seasons.
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