49ers interview another Detroit Lions assistant for a coordinator job

The 49ers have now dipped into the well of Lions' assistant coaches twice.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

With one notable absence from the process to this point, the Detroit Lions have had a number of people in their organization interview for jobs elsewhere.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are the obvious ones. But offensive line coach Hank Fraley interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator job, and defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend has interviewed for the defensive coordinator post with the San Francisco 49ers. Special assistant Chris Spielman interviewed with the New York Jets for their general manager job,

Add a sixth name to that list of Lions' staffers who have had interviews elsewhere.

On Sunday night, the 49ers announced they completed an interview with Lions special teams assistant Jett Modkins for their special teams coordinator vacancy.

Modkins has a connection to the 49ers through his father, long-time NFL coach Curtis Modkins. Curtis was the Lions' running backs coach from 2013-15 before getting hired by the 49ers as their offensive coordinator. After Chip Kelly's one-and-done season as the head coach in San Francisco, the elder Modkins was fired.

49ers interview Jett Modkins for special teams coordinator job

Modkins has worked under Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp for the last four years. Prior to joining the Lions, Modkins spent the 2020 season with the Denver Broncos as the team's diversity coaching intern, assisting with the offense. His first coaching job was as a defensive volunteer coach at the University of Akron in 2019.

The 49ers fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider last week after a rough season in that area of the game. They finished the season 31st in special teams DVOA, 28th in punting average, 31st in net punting average and 27th in field goal percentage.

Modkins helped the Lions finish the regular season first in special teams DVOA, first in punting average, first in net punting average and eighth in field goal percentage. He is the only known candidate for the 49ers' special teams coordinator job right now, and of course he was the first to be interviewed.

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