49ers: Could Hue Jackson revive the offense?

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Only three NFL teams haven’t ranked among the league’s top 10 in both points scored and yards gained since 2003: the Titans, Dolphins and 49ers.

Some Bay Area fans might wonder: What about the Raiders?

Good question. The answer: They would be on the dubious list were it not for a two-year aberration. In 2010, Oakland ranked among the top 10 in points and yards. In 2011, it ranked ninth in yards.

The Raiders’ offensive coordinator in 2010: Hue Jackson. Their head coach and offensive play-caller in 2011: Hue Jackson.

Yes, there is a reason the 49ers, the owners of a broken-down offense, will interview Jackson, now the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, on Sunday in Cincinnati.

In each of Jackson’s two seasons with the Raiders, they went 8-8, their only non-losing seasons since they reached the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. Given that, why was the minor-miracle worker fired after one season as head coach?

The answer had more to do with Jackson’s personality than his coaching ability.

The greatest successes the Raiders have enjoyed in the last decade-plus came in the two years when Hue Jackson was on the Oakland sideline. The greatest successes the Raiders have enjoyed in the last decade-plus came in the two years when Hue Jackson was on the Oakland sideline. Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 49ers: Could Hue Jackson revive the offense? 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Jackson was a favorite of late Raiders owner Al Davis, who died four games into Jackson’s lone season as a head coach. After Davis died, sources have said Jackson did little to cultivate a relationship with the heir apparent, Davis’ son, Mark.

As a result, Jackson had far less job security than he imagined in 2011, which the Raiders finished by losing four of their final five games. And he had even less security after he ripped his players following a season-ending loss to the Chargers that cost a playoff berth.

Jackson said he was “pissed at my team” and said the Raiders needed an “attitude adjustment.” Jackson also pointed a finger at defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan and said he wanted a “stronger hand” in the organization in 2012.

Instead, Davis, who is close and loyal to many of his players, provided a pink slip. Davis hired general manager Reggie McKenize, who replaced Jackson with Dennis Allen.

Four years later, Jackson, 50, presumably has learned from some of those missteps, and he figures to get a second head-coaching chance next season. In addition to the 49ers, the Dolphins and Browns will interview Jackson on Sunday, a day after the Bengals host the Steelers in a wild-card playoff game.

A return to the Bay Area could make sense for Jackson, a Los Angeles native who interviewed for the 49ers’ head-coach opening in 2011. Jackson has a long relationship with general manager Trent Baalke, who was a scout with Washington from 2001 to 2003 when Jackson was an assistant.

One potential issue could be personnel control: In his lone season as a head coach, Jackson had the power to engineer the midseason trade for quarterback Carson Palmer, then 31, which he termed “probably the greatest trade in football.”

That wasn’t the case. Besides not making the playoffs, Palmer, who cost the Raiders a first- and second-round pick, played only 25 games over two seasons with the Raiders. Jackson was right about Palmer having plenty left: Now with the Cardinals, Palmer, 36, is an NFL MVP candidate after leading Arizona to a 13-3 season.

Another quarterback Al Davis and Jackson are known to have prized: Colin Kaepernick.

In 2011, Jackson wanted to move up in the draft to select Kaepernick, whom the 49ers took with the No. 36 overall pick.

“I think about it all the time, believe me,” Jackson told Sports Illustrated in 2013. “No question in my mind we wanted it to happen, and no question I thought it could happen. We wanted the kid in the worst way.”

It appears unlikely Kaepernick will return to the 49ers next season, but the same was said about quarterback Alex Smith after the 2010 season before Jim Harbaugh was hired. Harbaugh saw potential in Smith, and perhaps Jackson, if he’s hired, will view Kaepernick with a fresh set of eyes.

In 2013, Jackson said Al Davis was livid when the 49ers selected Kaepernick.

“I don’t know that he threw anything, but he was upset,” Jackson said. “So was I. Scouting him, I fell in love with the kid.”

Coach hired: Inside linebackers coach Clancy Pendergast was hired as USC’s defensive coordinator, NFL Network reported. Pendergast held the same position at USC in 2013 and was Cal’s defensive coordinator from 2010 through ’12.

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

Kelly interviews for job opening

Chip Kelly’s interest in the 49ers has been reciprocated.

After he reportedly reached out to the team regarding its head-coaching opening, the 49ers have met with the former Philadelphia head coach, a league source said.

Kelly, 52, was fired last month, 15 games into Philadelphia’s 7-9 season, which was preceded by back-to-back 10-6 records. His fall from grace was tied partly to a series of failed roster moves the Eagles made after he gained personnel control last year.

In his first season in 2013, Philadelphia, coming off a 4-12 season, reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and Kelly was hailed for his up-tempo offense.

Kelly is believed to have a strong relationship with 49ers senior personnel executive Tom Gamble, who was in the Eagles’ front office in Kelly’s first two seasons.

— Eric Branch