John Lynch might have answered questions posed by Paraag Marathe during the interview process, but the 49ers general manager has made it clear he wouldn’t be answering to the executive in his new role.

“I report to Jed York,” Lynch said Monday.

Today, during a 25-minute interview on KNBR, Lynch was again asked about the role Marathe will play in the front office.

Marathe has spent 16 years with the 49ers and is thought to have considerable influence. His reassignment in 2015 from president to his current title (chief strategy officer and executive vice president of football operations) was viewed as a demotion, but his presence during head-coach and general-manager interviews suggested he remained near the top of the power structure.

Marathe’s murky role was an “impediment” to attracting some candidates, Pro Football Talk reported.

For Lynch’s part, he said he followed his parents’ advice before meeting with York and Marathe: Do your homework, but form your own opinions.

“I’ve always tried to do that,” Lynch said. “I can tell you this: My short time being around him, I think Paraag is an unbelievable asset to me and to this organization. I understand that somehow the narrative has been out there that he meddled and all those things.

“All I know, for instance, one of my challenges early is negotiating contracts. I haven’t done that through my career, other than my own deals. Well, from what I understand, he’s one of the best in the league at it. So am I going to lean on him for that? Absolutely.”

Without prompting, Lynch went on to discuss football analytics, which has been one of Marathe’s areas of expertise. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels noted 49ers director of football administration and analytics Brian Hampton was part of his interview with the team.

Today, Lynch said he was open to using analytics, but didn’t anticipate they would play a major role. The takeaway from what he said: Lynch - not Marathe - would determine how much analytics would be used.

“People talk a lot about analytics and what role they play in football,” Lynch said. “I want to explore that. I don’t think it’s going to be a big part of what we do, but I think to ignore it would be foolish. Anything that help us get better, I’m going to embrace. That’s where we are. I can tell you that thus far (Marathe has) been a tremendous resource.”

Twitter: @Eric_Branch