Missouri Tigers will need new defensive coordinator after Steve Wilks rejoins Panthers
The Missouri Tigers football program will have its third different defensive coordinator in as many seasons under head coach Eliah Drinkwitz.
Steve Wilks, Mizzou’s defensive coordinator in 2021, is leaving the team to rejoin the ranks of the NFL. He was hired as the Carolina Panthers’ defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach, the franchise announced Wednesday.
“Coach Wilks was a strong asset to our program and our staff. We thank him for his commitment to Mizzou football,” Drinkwitz said in a statement.
Just over a week ago, Drinkwitz emphasized the importance of having consistency at defensive coordinator for next season. Missouri’s defense struggled through the early part of 2021 as players adjusted to playing under Wilks.
“Down the stretch, we played much better than we did the first part of the season (on defense),” Drinkwitz said. “My evaluation is that stability has got to override anything right now. Our team needs, you know, I felt like just needed, not necessarily stability, but continuity within scheme.
“I felt like as you watch the season and as you self-scout what we were doing, the more our players got comfortable with what we were calling, the better they were performing. And so that’s what we got to do.”
Stability has now gone out the window with Wilks returning to the league.
Wilks last coached in the NFL as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, a position he also held with the Carolina Panthers in 2017. He spent 14 years coaching in the league, including as the Arizona Cardinals head coach in 2018. Wilks, who graduated from West Charlotte High School, originally joined the Panthers’ staff in 2012.
Wilks’ name resurfaced in the NFL news cycle in recent weeks after being mentioned in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the league. Wilks, who is Black, was fired after just one season with the Cardinals, The team went 3-13 that season with rookie quarterback Josh Rosen under center, several key injuries and general manager Steve Keim suspended for five games.
“He was not given any time to develop the team or culture,” the lawsuit states, “and he was stuck with numerous burdens not of his own making.”
Wilks interviewed for the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator position last week, but didn’t get the job. He now rejoins the Panthers instead, replacing Jason Simmons, who left for the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this week.
As for Mizzou, Drinkwitz will look to find a replacement at defensive coordinator before the start of spring football — the timeline of which has yet to be announced.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
