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49ers remove DC role from Nick Sorensen

Wed Jan 8 10:15am ET
Field Level Media

The San Francisco 49ers have removed Nick Sorensen from his role as defensive coordinator, ESPN reported.

He just completed his first season in the position after being elevated from defensive passing game specialist and nickelbacks coach.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes to retain Sorensen, 46, in a different role, per Tuesday night's report.

The 49ers (6-11) missed the playoffs after reaching at least the NFC Championship game in four of the previous six seasons.

San Francisco finished 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game), including 87 combined points in the final two games of the campaign.

Sorensen received his promotion last March, replacing Steve Wilks. Wilks was the DC for one season in 2023 after succeeding DeMeco Ryans, now the head coach of the Houston Texans.

Sorensen joined the 49ers in 2022 as a defensive assistant after serving as an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-20) and as the Jacksonville Jaguars' special teams coordinator (2021).

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