Former Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, Steve Wilks, has officially been hired as the new defensive coordinator at the University of Missouri.
Wilks heads back to the college ranks after spending the last 14 years in the NFL. He sat out the 2020 season after spending a year with the Browns as their defensive coordinator during the tumultuous Freddie Kitchens era in 2019. Prior to that, he was the sacrificial lamb as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. Most have agreed that he was set-up to fail with that team. The offense was anemic and they finished 3-13, after which he was fired.
He arrives in Columbia after spending his entire 24 year coaching career on the defensive side of the ball. He started his pro coaching career with Washington, moving on to the Bears, Chargers, and Panthers before the ill-fated stop in Arizona. His last time on a college campus was in 2004 when he was the defensive backs coach at Notre Dame.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve Wilks and his family to Mizzou,” said Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. “Steve 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. I’m looking forward to Steve putting his fingerprints on our defense as we continue to elevate Mizzou Football to greater heights.”
“I’ve had a reputation of building relationships everywhere I’ve been, from college to the NFL,” said Wilks. “I pride myself on being a great teacher and communicator and having the ability to get the most out of my players. Players like Josh Norman, who developed from a fifth-round draft pick into a All-Pro selection, is just one example of someone who I was able to help develop. In college, you must develop players, and I believe I can bring that to Mizzou, along with being a great communicator and teacher.”
Wilks will be developing talent, but he is recognized as a blitz minded coach. So the Big XII better be ready because Wilks will be bringing the heat in 2021.
