The San Francisco 49ers are hiring Steve Wilks as their defensive coordinator, NFL Network reports.
Wilks took over as the interim Carolina Panthers head coach midseason and was a candidate for the full-time position before Carolina hired Frank Reich. Wilks takes over for DeMeco Ryans, who was hired as the Houston Texans head coach after coordinating the NFL's best defense this season.
Wilks worked as Carolina's secondary coach before taking over for fired head coach Matt Rhule following a 1-5 start. The Panthers finished 7-10 under Wilks and made a late push for the NFC South title before ultimately falling short.