49ers to hire Tim Lewis for DB coach, Clancy Pendergast for ILB coach, per Alex Marvez

The San Francisco 49ers appear to be a couple steps closer to filling out their defensive coaching staff. FOX Sports NFL reporter Alex Marvez is reporting the team will hire former Atlanta Falcons defensive backs coach Tim Lewis to coach their defensive backs. Additionally, Marvez is reporting Clancy Pendergast will coach the 49ers inside linebackers.

Lewis has an extensive history coaching defensive backs. He was the Falcons secondary coach since 2010, and prior to that he coached the Seahawks (2009) and Panthers (2007-2008) secondaries. He was defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 2004-2006 and Pittsburgh from 2000-2003. He coached the Steelers defensive backs from 1995 to 1999, the Pitt panthers defensive backs in 1993 and 1994, and the SMU defensive backs from 1989 to 1992.

I spoke with Dave Choate from The Falcoholic to get his thoughts on Lewis. He said he was well-liked by the players, and he thinks Lewis is a good coach. He mentioned that he did good work helping develop guys like Desmond Trufant and Kemal Ishmael the last couple of years. Dave feels he did a lot with the secondary in spite of injuries, and views this a really solid hire by the 49ers.

Pendergast last served as USC defensive coordinator in 2013, but interviewed for DC jobs with Washington at the NFL level, and LSU and Utah at the college level. Prior to the USC job, he was Cal's defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2012. He also served as Kansas City's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2009, defensive coordinator in Arizona from 2004 to 2008, linebackers coach in Cleveland in 2003, defensive backs coach in Dallas from 1996 to 2002, and defensive quality control coach for Houston in 1995.

I tweeted at Jess Root from Revenge of the Birds, an he said he was a good game plan schemer, but the defenses generally were not all that good statistically. He was part of the old coaching staff when Ken Whisenhunt joined the team, but Whiz was quick to get rid of him after the Super Bowl.

Here is what the 49ers defensive coaching staff is tentatively looking like:

Defensive coordinator: Eric Mangini (news)
Defensive backs coach: Tim Lewis (news - awaiting team announcement)
Linebackers coach/senior defensive assistant: Jason Tarver (news - awaiting team announcement)
Inside linebackers coach: Clancy Pendergast (news - awaiting team announcement)
Defensive line coach: No names
Special teams coordinator: Thomas McGaughey (news)
Defensive assistant: Ejiro Evero (TBD)
Defensive assistant: Aubrayo Franklin (news - awaiting team announcement)