Carolina Panthers hire former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks as defensive assistant
Steve Wilks' return to college coaching lasted a single season.
The Carolina Panthers announced Wednesday that the former Arizona Cardinals head coach would be the team's new defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach. Wilks spent the 2021 season as Missouri's defensive coordinator after he wasn't on an NFL or college staff in 2020. He replaces Jason Simmons after Simmons left to be the defensive pass game coordinator for Josh McDaniel and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Wilks, 52, was Carolina’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in 2017 under Ron Rivera. He worked for the Panthers from 2012-17 and started as the team’s defensive backs coach before becoming the defensive coordinator. In Wilks' one season as defensive coordinator with the Panthers, Carolina went 11-5 and the defense allowed just over 20 points per game.
That season helped Wilks land the head coaching job with the Cardinals. But he spent just one season in charge of Arizona as the Cardinals went 3-13 and earned the first pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Arizona hired Kliff Kingsbury after firing Wilks and drafted Kyler Murray with that selection.
Wilks then went to Cleveland and spent the 2019 season as the team’s defensive coordinator under Freddie Kitchens.
Missouri then hired Wilks in January 2021 as he returned to the college football ranks for the first time since 2005. After a season as the head coach at Savannah State, Wilks had worked as defensive assistant in college football from 2000-05.
The Tigers’ defense struggled in the first games of Wilks’ tenure, especially against the run. Missouri gave up over 200 yards rushing six times in the first eight games and Tennessee rushed for 458 yards in a 62-42 win over the Tigers in early October.
Despite some late season improvement, Missouri’s defense ended up allowing 6.4 yards per play and 34 points per game as the Tigers finished the season 6-7 after a loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Wilks' departure means that Missouri will have its third defensive coordinator in three seasons under Eli Drinkwitz. The former Appalachian State coach retained Ryan Walters for the 2020 season after taking over for Barry Odom but Walters left after one season on Drinkwitz's staff to become Illinois' defensive coordinator.
