Bears hire Wilks as defensive backs coach

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Bears hire Wilks as defensive backs coach

 

 

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears on Thursday hired Steven Wilks as their defensive backs coach. He replaces Perry Fewell, who left after one season to become defensive coordinator under former Bears coach Dick Jauron with the Buffalo Bills.

Wilks joins Lovie Smith's staff after spending the last 11 seasons as a college coach. He tutored the secondary under Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame in 2004, then was one of three assistants that Willingham brought with him after he was hired by Washington in 2005.

 

"I'm real excited about the opportunity," Wilks said, "not just the chance to coach in the NFL but the opportunity to be able to come here and be a part of the Bears organization and most importantly work with Lovie Smith and the defensive coaches.

 

"Coach Willingham is a great man of integrity. He's a good football coach and someone that I definitely learned a lot from. I think Lovie is the same kind of individual. He's someone that I can learn a lot from, so I'm excited about that."

 

Wilks inherits a secondary that features two Pro Bowlers in safety Mike Brown and cornerback Nathan Vasher.

 

The North Carolina native admired the group from afar this past season when Chicago's defense led the NFL in points allowed and ranked second in total yards.

 

"When you watch from a coach's perspective, you see a well-disciplined football team," Wilks said. "The guys play hard. You can really tell they love the game and they play with a lot of passion. That's something that I've always emphasized and talked about as a coach."

 

A defensive back at Appalachian State from 1987-91, Wilks recorded 103 career tackles with four interceptions and four blocked kicks. He was invited to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks in 1992 and played for the Charlotte Rage in the Arena Football League in 1993.

 

Wilks began his coaching career as defensive coordinator at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. in 1995-96. He spent the next four years at Savannah State, the first two as defensive coordinator and the last two as head coach.

 

Wilks coached defensive backs at Illinois State (2000) and Appalachian State (2001) before becoming co-defensive coordinator at East Tennessee State (2002). He spent one season as defensive backs coach at Bowling Green (2003) before joining Willingham at Notre Dame.

 

A soft-spoken individual, Wilks undergoes a transformation when he steps on the field.

 

"I'm very vocal and very passionate," he said. "I think the guys feed off that emotion. Defensive backs are the last line of defense and they've got to play with a level of intensity every play."

 

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