49ers’ coordinators NFL’s youngest, least experienced

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The 49ers’ youth-filled roster may not be alone in learning on the job this season.

Consider the top assistants on their coaching staff.

The 49ers have the youngest trio of coordinators in the league in Curtis Modkins (offense), 45, Jim O’Neil (defense), 37, and Derius Swinton (special teams), 30. Swinton is the league’s youngest special-teams coordinator and O’Neil is the league’s second-youngest defensive coordinator. O’Neil is about two months older than Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, 37.

The 49ers coordinators have an average age of 37.3. The Patriots (38 years) have the league’s second-youngest trio of coordinators.

Not surprisingly, given their age, the 49ers coordinators don’t have much experience in their current roles. They have combined for five seasons of NFL service as coordinators, which is the fewest in the league.

Modkins, who won’t be the 49ers’ play-caller (that will be Chip Kelly), was the Bills offensive coordinator from 2010-12; O’Neil spent the past two seasons in the same role with the Browns and Swinton has never been a coordinator.

How much will their lack of experience matter? That remains to be seen. Last year, for example, the Cardinals went 13-3 with a trio that had five seasons of combined experience as NFL coordinators, although head coach Bruce Arians, 63, was calling the offensive plays.

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil stands on the sideline during an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Browns, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cleveland. The Steelers won 28-12. (AP Photo/David Richard) less Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil stands on the sideline during an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Browns, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cleveland. The Steelers won 28-12. ... more Photo: David Richard, Associated Press Photo: David Richard, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 49ers’ coordinators NFL’s youngest, least experienced 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

On the flip side, the 49ers went 5-11 in 2015 with a group (Geep Chryst, Eric Mangini and Thomas McGauhey) that had four seasons of NFL experience as coordinators, although Mangini had spent five seasons as an NFL head coach.

Listed below, from youngest (49ers) to oldest (Titans), is each team’s group of coordinators.

First, however, a few notes:

** In 2016, the 49ers will enter the season with coordinators who have five seasons of experience as NFL coordinators (Modkins, O’Neil, Swinton).

In 2015, the 49ers entered the season with coordinators who had four seasons of experience as NFL coordinators (Chryst, Mangini, McGaughey).

In 2014, the 49ers entered the season with coordinators who had 42 seasons of experience as NFL coordinators (Greg Roman, Vic Fangio, Brad Seely).

** The NFL’s youngest coordinators: Washington OC Sean McVay (30 years, 3 months); San Francisco ST Derius Swinton (30 years, 11 months) and Detroit OC Jim Bob Cooter (31).

** The NFL’s oldest coordinators: Tennessee DC Dick LeBeau (74); Houston DC Romeo Crennel (68) and Denver DC Wade Phillips (68).

** The NFL’s youngest offensive coordinators: Washington’s Sean McVay (30); Detroit’s Jim Bob Cooter (31) and Chicago’s Dowell Loggains (35).

** The NFL’s oldest offensive coordinators: The Jets’ Chan Gailey (64), Minnesota’s Norv Turner (63) and Tennessee’s Terry Robiskie (61).

** The NFL’s youngest defensive coordinators (all from the NFC West): Seattle’s Kris Richard (37 years, 6 months); San Francisco’s Jim O’Neil (37 years, 8 months) and Arizona’s James Bettcher (37 years, 11 months).

** The NFL’s oldest defensive coordinators: LeBeau (73); Crennel (68) and Phillips (68).

** The NFL’s youngest special-teams coordinators: San Francisco’s Derius Swinton (30); New England’s Joe Judge (34) and Chicago’s Jeff Rodgers (38).

** The NFL’s oldest special-teams coordinators: Carolina’s Bruce DeHaven (67); Tennessee’s Bobby April (63) and Pittsburgh’s Danny Smith (62).

** The Titans have the NFL’s oldest defensive coordinator (LeBeau, 73), second-oldest special-teams coordinator (April, 63) and third-oldest offensive coordinator (Terry Robiskie, 61).

AVERAGE AGE OF NFL COORDINATOR STAFFS (as of April 19)

49ERS (37.3 years)

OC: Curtis Modkins: 45 (born: 11-15-70)

DC: Jim O’Neil: 37 (8-26-78)

ST: Derius Swinton: 30 (4-26-85)

PATRIOTS (38)

OC: Josh McDaniels: 39 (4-22-76)

DC: Matt Patricia: 41 (9-13-74)

ST: Joe Judge: 34 (12-30-81)

WASHINGTON (38.7)

OC: Sean McVay: 30 (1-24-86)

DC: Joe Barry: 45 (7-5-70)

ST: Ben Kotwica: 41 (12-8-74)

SEAHAWKS (42.3)

OC: Darrell Bevell: 46 (1-6-70)

DC: Kris Richard: 37 (10-28-78)

ST: Brian Schneider: 44 (5-16-71)

BEARS (43.3)

OC: Dowell Loggains: 35 (10-1-80)

DC: Vic Fangio: 57 (8-22-58)

ST: Jeff Rodgers: 38 (1-12-78)

BENGALS (45)

OC: Ken Zampese: 48 (7-19-67)

DC: Paul Guenther: 44 (11-22-71)

ST: Darrin Simmons: 43 (4-9-73)

CARDINALS (45)

OC: Harold Goodwin: 42 (11-14-73)

DC: James Bettcher: 37 (5-27-78)

ST: Amos Jones: 56 (12-31-59)

CHARGERS (47.3)

OC: Ken Whisenhunt: 54 (2-28-62)

DC: John Pagano: 49 (3-30-67)

ST: Craig Aukerman: 39 (11-22-76)

COLTS (47.3)

OC: Rob Chudzinski: 47 (5-12-68)

DC: Ted Monachino: 49 (10-15-66)

ST: Tom McMahon: 46 (7-12-69)

SAINTS (47.7)

OC: Pete Carmichael: 44 (10-6-71)

DC: Dennis Allen: 43 (9-22-72)

ST: Greg McMahon: 56 (1-2-60)

EAGLES (48)

OC: Frank Reich: 54 (12-4-61)

DC: Jim Schwartz: 49 (6-2-66)

ST: Dave Fipp: 41 (8-8-74)

LIONS (48)

OC: Jim Bob Cooter: 31 (7-3-84)

DC: Teryl Austin: 51 (3-3-65)

ST: Joe Marciano: 62 (2-10-54)

RAMS (48)

OC: Rob Boras: 45 (9-30-70)

DC: Gregg Williams: 57 (7-15-58)

ST: John Fassel: 42 (1-10-74)

TEXANS (48.7)

OC: George Godsey: 37 (1-1-79)

DC: Romeo Crennel: 68 (6-18-47)

ST: Larry Izzo: 41 (9-26-74)

DOLPHINS (49.3)

OC: Clyde Christensen: 60 (1-28-56)

DC: Vance Joseph: 43 (9-20-72)

ST: Darren Rizzi, Dolphins: 45 (7-21-70)

FALCONS (49.3)

OC: Kyle Shanahan: 36 (12-14-79)

DC: Richard Smith: 60 (10-17-55)

ST: Keith Armstrong: 52 (12-15-63)

BROWNS (50.3)

OC/head coach: Hue Jackson 50 (10-22-65)

DC: Ray Horton: 56 (4-12-60)

ST: Chris Tabor: 45 (3-4-71)

BILLS (50.7)

OC: Greg Roman: 43 (8-10-72)

DC: Dennis Thurman: 60 (4-13-56)

ST: Danny Crossman: 49 (1-17-67)

GIANTS (50.7)

OC: Mike Sullivan: 49 (1-28-67)

DC: Steve Spagnuolo: 56 (12-21-59)

ST: Tom Quinn: 48 (1-27-68)

RAIDERS (50.7)

OC: Bill Musgrave: 48 (11-11-67)

DC: Ken Norton Jr.: 49 (9-29-66)

ST: Brad Seely: 59 (9-6-56)

JAGUARS (51)

OC: Greg Olson: 53 (3-1-63)

DC: Todd Walsh: 47 (7-19-68)

ST: Mike Mallory: 53 (11-16-62)

JETS (51.3)

OC: Chan Gailey: 64 (1-5-52)

DC: Kacy Rodgers: 46 (6-24-69)

ST: Brant Boyer: 44 (6-27-71)

BUCCANEERS (51.7)

OC: Todd Monken: 50 (2-5-66)

DC: Mike Smith: 56 (6-13-59)

ST: Nate Kazcor: 49 (4-8-67)

CHIEFS (53.5)

Co-OC: Brad Childress: 59 (6-27-56)

Co-OC: Matt Nagy: 37 (4-24-78)

DC: Bob Sutton: 65 (1-28-51)

ST: Dave Toub: 53 (6-1-62)

VIKINGS (53.7)

OC: Norv Turner: 63 (5-17-52)

DC: George Edwards: 49 (1-16-67)

ST: Mike Priefer: 49 (8-21-66)

PANTHERS (56.3)

OC: Mike Shula: 50 (6-3-65)

DC: Sean McDermott: 42 (3-21-74)

ST: Bruce DeHaven: 67 (9-6-48)

STEELERS (56.7)

OC: Todd Haley: 49 (2-28-67)

DC: Keith Butler: 59 (5-16-56)

ST: Danny Smith 62 (9-7-53)

COWBOYS (57.7)

OC: Scott Linehan: 52 (9-17-63)

DC: Rod Marinelli: 66 (7-13-49)

ST: Rich Bisaccia: 55 (6-3-60)

PACKERS (57.7)

OC: Edgar Bennett: 47 (2-15-69)

DC: Dom Capers: 65 (8-7-50)

ST: Ron Zook: 61 (4-28-54)

BRONCOS (58.3)

OC: Rick Dennison: 57 (6-22-58)

DC: Wade Phillips: 68 (6-21-47)

ST: Joe DeCamillis: 50 (6-29-65)

RAVENS (62)

OC: Marc Trestman: 60 (1-15-56)

DC: Dean Pees: 66 (9-4-49)

ST: Jerry Rosburg: 60 (11-24-55)

TITANS (67.3)

OC: Terry Robiskie: 61 (11-12-54)

DC: Dick LeBeau: 78 (9-9-37)

ST: Bobby April: 63 (4-15-53)

Twitter: @Eric_Branch