49ers hire Curtis Modkins as offensive coordinator

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 49ers have hired Lions running backs coach/run game coordinator Curtis Modkins to run Kelly’s offense.

“You better be good in all three phases of the game if you expect to be successful in this league”, Kelly said at his introductory news conference Wednesday.

The San Francisco 49ers have fired defensive coordinator Eric Mangini after one season, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, as new head coach Chip Kelly continues to assemble his staff.

A 49ers spokesman would not confirm the moves until those contracts are ratified.

The other known candidates for defensive coordinator are last year’s outside linebackers coach, Jason Tarver, and Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale.

Modkins, 45, has been the running backs coach in Buffalo and most recently Detroit. He was previously a running backs coach for Kansas City and Arizona and was the Bills’ offensive coordinator. He is a pending free agent. “He understands safeties, coverages, schemes and exactly how defensive guys are going to play us”. I really want to bring some people in that have some different viewpoints, have some different ideas and have done it differently.

Mangini spent last season in that position after filling in for Vic Fangio, who left for the Chicago Bears after Jim Harbaugh and his staff were let go.

Mangini’s defense, which was wracked by retirements before the season and by injuries during the season, finished 29th in yards allowed, 31st in takeaways and 29th in sacks.