49ers hire Seahawks Super Bowl winner to coaching role

Wright is an intriguing hire for several reasons. He is very familiar with the 49ers' new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, who replaced the fired Steve Wilks last week, with San Francisco also hiring former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley to an assistant head coach role that will likely see him have a significant influence on the defense.

Sorensen got his coaching start with the Seahawks in 2013, two years after Wright was drafted. He worked with the Seattle defense from 2016 to 2020.

On top of that, Wright will have a sound knowledge of the 49er defense, which originates from the defense former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll ran in Seattle, with his arrival giving the Niners another experienced voice to work with a linebacking corps that had communication issues with Wilks during the 2023 campaign.

Wright will work with linebackers coach Johnny Holland, who has coached the Niners' linebackers since 2017 but has battled multiple myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer, since 2019.

In Holland, Wright will be learning from one of the most experienced assistant coaches in the game. Holland got his start in coaching with the Green Bay Packers back in 1995.

With DeMeco Ryans having previously gone from defensive quality control coach to linebackers coach to defensive coordinator and Sorensen ascending quickly from defensive assistant to coordinator inside two years, the 49ers do an excellent job of bringing their assistants up through the ranks. After getting his start, Wright will hope he can follow a similar path and serve as another success story for the team that was once his biggest rival.