Nick Sorensen Sounds Unsure why the 49ers Promoted him to Defensive Coordinator

Nick Sorensen was asked recently why he thinks the 49ers promoted him to defensive coordinator and he gave an obscure answer.

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen holds a | Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports

Usually when a coach has been hired or promoted, they can detail exactly why they were.

However, that wasn't really the case with 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. For the first time since his promotion, Sorensen spoked to the media on Friday where he was asked why he thinks the 49ers gave him the job. He didn't really sound so sure as to why he got it as he had a pretty obscure answer.

“I think you'd have to ask Kyle [Shanahan] and John [Lynch] and ownership," said Sorensen. "I was here, I understand the defense, familiarity with it, with the guys and how we play, what's expected. I think we all know what we expect out of the defense and our team. So you’d probably have to ask Kyle about that.”

Sorensen started off bad with his answer, then recovered by explaining his familiarity with the scheme, the players, and the coaches. But then he falls back on how he started by saying to "ask Kyle" as to why he was promoted.

Not really the most inspiring or confident answer. It is unbecoming of a leader. One thing that has become clear as a non-negotiable as a defensive coordinator of the 49ers is leadership. It is part of why Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans thrived and why Steve Wilks didn't.

Now, I am not concluding outright that Sorensen isn't a capable leader based off of one answer. But it is not ideal for a guy to essentially not know why he got his promotion and to defer to his boss. He could've gone on about how embedded he is, the respect of the players, and all of that, but he didn't.

It is starting to become clearer as to why the 49ers hired Brandon Staley. Maybe they don't fully trust Sorensen and have Staley as a backup. It is what I believed at the time for a contingency and now grows stronger after this answer from Sorensen.

The dynamic between the two will certainly be one to closely watch as soon as training camp arrives.