All 49ers

5 Potential Replacements for 49ers Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen

If the 49ers hire yet another defensive coordinator this year, here are five they might want to interview for the position.

Grant Cohn

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game specialist coach Nick Sorensen against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game specialist coach Nick Sorensen against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

In 2023, the 49ers gave up the third-fewest points in the NFL under defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Then they fired him.

In 2024, the 49ers gave up the fourth-most points in the NFL under defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. So I'm guessing they might fire him soon, too.

If the 49ers hire yet another defensive coordinator this year, here are five they might want to interview for the position.

1. Robert Saleh

He was the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020 and he helped build the team culture which has deteriorated rapidly since they lost their second Super Bowl last year. Saleh would be perfect for the 49ers. Unfortunately for them, the Jaguars will interview Saleh to be their head coach in the coming days and he just might get the job. He worked for the Jaguars before he came to San Francisco and is friendly with their owner.

2. Gus Bradley

He was the Colts defensive coordinator for the past three seasons until they fired him on Monday. But Bradley also was the Jaguars head coach when Saleh was their linebackers coach. Plus Bradley was the Seahawks defensive coordinator when Saleh was their quality control coach. Which means Bradley mentored Saleh. They're similar coaches with similar personalities and similar schemes.

3. Jeff Ulbrich

The 49ers wanted to hire Ulbrich last year, but he was Saleh's defensive coordinator with the Jets. Then the Jets fired Saleh early this season and made Ulbrich the interim head coach. And without Saleh to help guide him, Ulbrich struggled. Now Ulbrich is available if the 49ers want him. He coaches a similar scheme as Saleh and Bradley.

4. Ken Norton Jr.

Here's another coach with connections to Saleh and Bradley. Norton was the linebackers coach on those Legion of Boom defenses in Seattle. Now he's the linebackers coach for Dan Quinn on the Washington Commanders. Norton has been a defensive coordinator for both the Raiders and the Seahawks. He's a natural leader and his players always play extremely hard for him.

5. Lou Anarumo

He was the Bengals defensive coordinator for the past six seasons until they fired him on Monday. But he wasn't the reason their defense struggled in 2024. Their defense hardly had any talent because the Bengals are cheap. Anarumo is one of the few coaches in the league who has had success against Andy Reid in the playoffs. For that reason alone, the 49ers should be interested.

Download and follow The Cohn Zohn Podcast.

Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

Home/News