49ers hire Lions running game coordinator Curtis Modkins for offensive coordinator position

Chip Kelly is installing his new regime, the second reawakening of his master plan, out on the coast, and his grand war council is being assembled. In the early stages of the NFL offseason, the pillaging of position coaches continues, and the Lions will now need to fill the void left by Curtis Modkins, who leaves his current position in Detroit as the running backs coach and running game coordinator to become Kelly's offensive coordinator.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has the scoop.

49ers are hiring former Lions RB coach Curtis Modkins as their offensive coordinator, per league sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 22, 2016

Since Modkins joined the team in 2013, the Lions run game saw gradual increases in production, even though it still ranked among the worst run games in the league for years. The second half of 2015 in particular saw improvements as the Lions moved away from the zone run game of Joe Lombardi and adopted a power run.

It will be interesting to see where Modkins fits in with the Kelly regime, as Kelly himself tends to have a close hand on the offense personally.

For the Lions, it's another position coach that needs to be filled before the next season begins.

Lions have openings, in theory, for a RBs coach, QBs coach, OL assistant and QC position

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) January 22, 2016