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North Carolina football became an attractive destination when the head coaching job opened. Little did fans know Bill Belichick would pursue the job. Now, he's got new competition from another former NFL head coach in Steve Wilks.
The former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator emerged as the newest reported interview at UNC, per Pete Nakos of On3.com Monday. Wilks recently won the NFC title with the 49ers last season. San Francisco fired Wilks after the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
But Wilks joins the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach in pursuing the Tar Heels' opening. Wilks has led the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers in a head coaching role before working with the 49ers.
Wilks, though, comes with this leverage over Belichick. He's a Charlotte native and has extensive ties to the state. The 55-year-old attended West Charlotte High School. He later played his college football in Boone, North Carolina for Appalachian State. Wilks even suited up for the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League where he lined up as a wide receiver, defensive back, and kick returner.
The University of Charlotte is Wilks' most recent stop. He served in a volunteer advisor role during the 2024 season. The Charlotte 49ers fired Biff Poggi as head coach during the regular season.
Wilks comes with a bevy of NFL coaching experience, just like Belichick. However, Wilks has a long list of college stops.
He coached at Savannah State as defensive coordinator from 1997 to 1998. Savannah State elevated him to head coach in 1999, going 5-6 with Wilks. He left the Tigers for Illinois State, where he took over the defensive backs coach position in 2000. Wilks eventually returned to his alma mater the following season.
Wilks' other CFB stops include East Tennessee State, Bowling Green, Notre Dame, and Washington. He even ran the defense at Missouri in 2021 before returning to the NFL. He's 14-25 overall as a coach including at the collegiate level.
