Five things to know about Steve Wilks, Mizzou football’s new defensive coordinator
Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz has filled an important vacancy after defensive coordinator Ryan Walters left Columbia to take the same job at Illinois.
Drinkwitz turned to former NFL coach Steve Wilks. The decision was made official Thursday, two weeks after Walters left for the Big Ten. Drinkwitz said in a statement Wilks has a “strong reputation as a man of character and a leader of men.”
“His experiences both as an NFL head coach and defensive coordinator are exactly what we need at Mizzou,” Drinkwitz said. “I’m looking forward to Steve putting his fingerprints on our defense as we continue to elevate Mizzou football to greater heights.”
The Tigers went 5-5 in 2020, facing an All-SEC schedule. They surprised many by finishing third in the SEC East, way above a predicted sixth-place finish. The Mizzou defense shared in its bits of struggles throughout the season. The Tigers played great against some opponents, allowing 10 or less points three times. But in the other seven games, it was a few steps back as the opposition put up at least 35 points.
It’ll be a new era for the Tigers. Drinkwitz retained Walters from former coach Barry Odom’s staff.
Now Drinkwitz has his own hire in Wilks calling the shots on defense.
“As I took time off to reflect over the past year,” Wilks said, “I wanted to find a good program with great people that was moving in the right direction, and without a doubt, Mizzou football has all of that.”
Here are five things to know about Wilks, the newest Tigers coach.
1. HEAVY TIES TO THE PROS
Wilks hasn’t coached in the college ranks since 2005. Instead, he took his coaching to the pros, where he’s well-traveled. Most notably, he was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for the 2018 season, where he went 3-13. The Cardinals went in a different direction, hiring Kliff Kingsbury and drafting Kyler Murray.
Wilks was then the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 under head coach Freddie Kitchens. Wilks took the 2020 season off after Kitchens was fired in Cleveland and current Browns coach Kevin Stefanski did not retain him.
Before that, Wilks spent significant time under Ron Rivera. Wilks made his way from secondary coach to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers from 2012-17.
Wilks has coached in two Super Bowls, in 2006 with the Bears and in 2015 with the Panthers. He lost both of them to a Peyton Manning-led team.
2. AFTER FIRINGS, WILKS TOOK A YEAR OFF
Wilks didn’t coach in the 2020 season, explaining his decision with The Athletic’s Joe Person. He was fired twice in the past two years before that, and he cited the emotional toll it took on his family.
He said he wanted something a bit more long-term at his next gig. Now, he has the opportunity to spend several seasons with the Tigers alongside Drinkwitz, who’s entering his second year at the helm.
“Mizzou has things moving in a great direction and I wanted to be a part of that,” Wilks said.
3. HEAVY COACHING EXPERIENCE IN ONE AREA
When Wilks was on his way up in both the college ranks and the NFL, he primarily focused on the secondary, the position he played. The game has changed in the past two decades, but he spent his year off watching film and learning recent trends.
Wilks’ predecessor, Walters, has a similar background being a guy who mostly coached defensive backs. Mizzou already has two coaches on staff, Charlie Harbison and David Gibbs, who were both secondary coaches last season.
4. APPALACHIAN STATE CONNECTION
Drinkwitz spent only one year at Appalachian State in 2019, but he bonded with Wilks that year. Wilks is a former Mountaineer, playing from 1987 to 1991.
Appalachian State went 12-1 under Drinkwitz, winning the Sun Belt championship before the coach accepted the Mizzou job. Wilks, a Charlotte native, told Person he was going to visit Columbia and Drinkwitz during that year off.
Harbison, now on Mizzou’s staff, also coached under Wilks in 2018 with the Cardinals. Drinkwitz brought Harbison over from Appalachian State to coach the secondary.
5. WHAT CAN WILKS DO WITH THE SECONDARY?
Wilks will have a tough challenge ahead of him, replacing two senior safeties: Joshuah Bledsoe and Tyree Gillespie. Both played heavy snaps the past few seasons with plenty of production.
But the cupboard isn’t bare by any means. Rising junior safety Martez Manuel impressed in his first season as a full-time starter. Other intriguing underclassmen like Ennis Rakestraw Jr., JC Carlies, Jalani Williams and others will suit up for the Tigers defense next season.
Wilks cited Josh Norman, an All-Pro cornerback, as the type of player he helped develop with the Panthers. Now he’ll bring that level of pro expertise to a talented MU secondary.