The New York Jets fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, one day after a 48-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Aaron Glenn announced Monday.
Chris Harris will take over defensive coordinator duties in the interim.
The Jets are 3-11 and sit at the bottom of the AFC East. On Sunday, New York allowed six touchdowns to Trevor Lawrence — five through the air and one on the ground. This season, the Jets rank 30th in defensive scoring, giving up 28.4 points per game, and they are last in the league with three takeaways, all of which were fumbles.
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Wilks was one of Glenn’s earliest hires after he got the head coaching job during the 2025 offseason. During Wilks’ first season in New York, the Jets traded key defensive stars, including cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Wilks was also fired after just one season as DC at his previous team in San Francisco. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan was ready to move on from Wilks following the 2023 campaign despite the team’s success.
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In 2005, Wilks began his NFL coaching career as an assistant in Washington, then became a defensive backs coach for Chicago, San Diego and ultimately Carolina in 2012. Wilks worked his way up to defensive coordinator with the Panthers in 2017 before getting his first head coaching opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He lasted only one season there, finishing 3-13. Wilks had a brief second stint with the Panthers in 2022, where he served as interim head coach/secondary coach.
Defensive backs coach Chris Harris steps in to finish the season as defensive coordinator. Harris is a former NFL defensive back, selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. During his eight-year career, Harris played for Chicago, Carolina, Detroit and Jacksonville, retiring after the 2012 season.
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The Jets’ next game will be Sunday on the road against the New Orleans Saints, before they close out a disappointing season against New England and Buffalo in Weeks 17 and 18.
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