Removing Nick Sorensen from his role as defensive coordinator was difficult for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. However, he is hopeful Sorensen will want to stay with San Francisco, potentially as the team’s special teams coordinator.
“Yes, Nick would be in consideration,” Shanahan said Wednesday of Sorensen's candidacy. “I just told him he’s not going to be the defensive coordinator.
"I know he’s under contract still, and I’m really hoping he comes back. But that’s got to be something he and his family feel good about, too. And the exact role that we end up carving out for him, I'll work on here over the next few weeks.
The two are good friends on and off the field and both expected San Francisco to be in the 2024 NFL playoffs right now rather than watching from the couch after finishing with a 6-11 record.
However, with changes needing to be made, Shanahan explained his decision to relieve Sorensen of his defensive coordinator duties.
“First of all, it was a real tough decision,” Shanahan said. “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’s 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’s a lot of big decisions ahead for us, 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. When it comes down to that, the position I’m in regardless of anything else, that’s always the stuff I got to go with.”
San Francisco 49ers
Sorensen was supposed to be the answer for the 49ers after the franchise fired 2023 defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. However, San Francisco’s star-studded defense never looked as it should.
The 49ers allowed 25.6 points per game in 2024, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL, and points 87 alone over their last two games -- losses to the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.
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As he mentioned, Shanahan still wants to keep Sorensen in the Bay. Regardless, the 49ers’ special teams unit, which any eye test would prove to be one of the league’s worst, requires new leadership after Shanahan fired Brian Schneider on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, the Sorensen decision was hard for Shanahan, and the search is on for a next defensive coordinator.
“It was a real tough decision for me,” Shanahan reiterated. “I’m still hoping that I can keep Nick here. But I do feel there are some better avenues in the long run that will be better for the 49ers.”
San Francisco already has conducted interviews, one of which was with former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
