It’s that time of the year where organizations get their coaching staff together for the next season.
The Cleveland Browns probably won’t have too many changes to their staff over the offseason.
Although, former Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks could land himself another coaching position.
The 51-year-old coach is reportedly a candidate for the defensive coordinator vacancy for the Missouri Tigers.
Former Cardinals HC Steve Wilks a candidate for Missouri DC job https://t.co/N0rWxDvBMH
— TheCardsWire (@Cards_Wire) January 20, 2021
Maybe, it’s not quite as fancy as coaching in the NFL, but Wilks is deserving of another shot.
His time in Cleveland was short lived, but the team’s failure in 2019 extended beyond Steve Wilks.
Wilks Coaching History
The veteran coach has been around the NFL for quite some time.
He bounced around for about 10 years with different organizations as a defensive backs coach.
Wilks eventually found a home in Carolina where he became the assistant coach.
In 2017, Wilks became the defensive coordinator for the Panthers, but it was short lived.
The following year, Wilks was hired as the Arizona Cardinals head coach.
Cardinals set to hire Steve Wilks as Bruce Arians' successor in Arizonahttps://t.co/WfPlYkPHnH pic.twitter.com/XO3R1zDr66
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 22, 2018
He had big shoes to fill after the departure of long time head coach Bruce Arians.
The Cardinals were horrendous under Wilks and finished the year 3-13.
To be fair, Wilks was given a rookie quarterback in Josh Rosen who was no where near ready to play at the professional level.
The team struggled heavily from both sides of the ball, but Wilks cannot be the one taking all the blame.
However, the Cardinals decided to part ways with Wilks after the year.
Although, it didn’t take long for Wilks to find another coaching position in the NFL.
Joining The Browns
After his disastrous season with the Cardinals, Wilks decided to join the Browns coaching staff.
He was hired as the defensive coordinator under then-coach Freddie Kitchens.
The 2019 campaign was an absolute train wreck for the Browns.
The front office decided to clean house after the season meaning both Wilks and Kitchens were let go.
Wilks was fired in back-to-back seasons, but was also put into terrible situations.
Despite recent events, Wilks is widely respected from both the players and other coaches around the league.
"We're trying to create our identity, our brand, who we are going to be." pic.twitter.com/Fp9T1sZDiy
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 28, 2018
Wilks has been in the NFL since 2006, which is not something that is easy to do.
He is well deserving of another coaching job, even if it’s at the college level.
Honestly, he was a victim of two horrible situations that made him look bad.
Hopefully, Wilks will be able to work his way back into the league, assuming he wants another shot coaching at the professional level someday.
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