49ers Announce Coaching Staff Hires

The San Francisco 49ers today announced that the team has hired Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak as offensive passing game specialist, Jacob Webster as defensive quality control coach and Max Molz as coaching operations assistant.

Wilks, 53, joins the 49ers from the Carolina Panthers (2022), where he was promoted to interim head coach in Week 6 after initially serving as the secondary/defensive pass game coordinator. The Panthers went 6-6 and finished second in the NFC South under Wilks following a 1-4 start to the season.

Prior to Carolina, he spent the 2021 season as the defensive coordinator at the University of Missouri. Before his time with Missouri, Wilks was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2019) and the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2018). Wilks spent six seasons with the Panthers in his first stint with the team serving as defensive backs coach (2012-14), assistant head coach/defensive backs coach (2015-16) and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (2017). Wilks spent the previous six seasons as defensive backs coach for the San Diego Chargers (2009-11) and Chicago Bears (2006-09).

Wilks began his coaching career at the collegiate level, serving as defensive backs coach at the University of Washington (2005), Notre Dame University (2004), Bowling Green University (2003), Appalachian State University (2001) and Illinois State University (2000). He served as defensive coordinator at East Tennessee State University (2002), Savannah State University (1997-98) and Johnson C. Smith University (1995-96) as well as spending the 1999 season as the head coach at Savannah State.

A native of Charlotte, NC, Wilks played collegiately as a defensive back at Appalachian State University (1987-91).

Kubiak, 36, joins the 49ers from the Denver Broncos (2022), where he served as the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach after spending three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings working as the team’s offensive coordinator (2021) and quarterbacks coach (2019-20).

Prior to his time with Minnesota, Kubiak had his first stint in Denver as offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach for three seasons (2016-18). He initially broke into the NFL as a quality control/assistant wide receivers coach for Minnesota from 2013-14.

Kubiak began his coaching career in the college ranks. He served as the wide receivers coach at the University of Kansas (2015) after three seasons at Texas A&M University as a graduate assistant/inside wide receivers coach (2012) and offensive quality control coach (2010-11).

A native of Aurora, CO, Kubiak played collegiately as a defensive back at Colorado State University (2005-09).

Webster, 25, joins the 49ers after spending the 2022 season as a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin where he worked with the team’s offense. Webster spent the previous two years at the University of Missouri where he served as a defensive graduate assistant (2021) and a volunteer (2020) for the program.

Webster attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2016-19) where he played tight end and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the school. A native of Nashville, TN, Webster comes from a football family, as his father, Ruston, is currently a senior personnel executive for the Atlanta Falcons and previously served as the general manager of the Tennessee Titans (2012-15).

Molz, 27, joins the 49ers from the University of Missouri where he served as the associate director of football operations (2019-23) and earned his master’s degree in education and psychology. Prior to his time at Missouri, Molz attended Saint Mary’s College of California where he was a student manager for the Gaels’ baseball team for four seasons (2015-18) and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science.