The 49ers could hire a new special teams coordinator soon.

Recently, they fired Brian Schneider. Today, they just announced that they’ve completed an interview with Detroit Lions assistant special teams coordinator Jett Modkins. Modkins is the son of Curtis Modkins, the current run game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings who also was the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in 2016 under head coach Chip Kelly. Which means the 49ers should be familiar with Jett.

It makes sense that the 49ers would interview a coach from the Lions considering their staff is so good. Even if they don’t hire Modkins, they can learn about how the Lions do things.

Unless Modkins absolutely dazzles in his interview, I doubt he’ll get the job. He might be the most qualified candidate, but Kyle Shanahan said a few days ago at his end-of-season press conference that he would like former 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen to be the special teams coordinator if he’ll take the job. The 49ers dismissed Sorensen as the defensive coordinator just a few days ago and they want to keep him on the staff.

But the 49ers have to do a formal round of interviews before they name Sorensen the special teams coordinator — they can’t just give the job to their friend because they like him. That would be against the NFL’s rules. And the 49ers just violated these rules when they attempted to promote Klay Kubiak from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator without conducting formal interviews.

It seems the 49ers are learning from their mistakes.