The Buccaneers began their search for a new special teams coordinator Saturday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers interviewed Jett Modkins from the Detroit Lions on Saturday for their vacant special teams coordinator opening.
Modkins, currently the Lions' assistant special teams coach, is the first interviewee for the role conducted by the Bucs in their search to replace the recently fired Thomas McGaughey.
Modkins just finished his fifth season with the Lions, working under special teams coordinator Davie Fipp, since joining the staff under head coach Dan Campbell in 2021.
In that time, the Lions have ranked fifth in in the league in kickoff return average (26 yards) and fourth in punt return average (11.2). The Lions have returned three punts for touchdowns in that span, which is tied for the league lead.
The Buccaneers have not returned a punt or a kickoff for a touchdown since 2010, the longest active drought in the NFL.
Modkins has also helped oversee a unit that ranked in the top 10 over the last five years in punt return average against (8.5).
Three Lions were named All-Pros under Modkins and Fipp: receiver/returner Kalif Raymond (second team in 2022 and 2024), punter Jack Fox (first team in 2024) and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (second team in 2023).
Before joining the Lions, Modkins spent the 2020 season with the Denver Broncos as their diversity coaching intern, assisting with the offense. He started his coaching career in 2019 as a volunteer defensive coach at Akron.
The new special teams coordinator for Tampa Bay will be tasked with turning around a unit that was one of the worst in the league in 2025. The team ranked 29th in average field position allowed on kickoffs, according to Pewter Report, and ranked 30th in overall in Pro Football Focus' special-teams grade rankings.
The Buccaneers also allowed three blocked kicks and two blocked punts this season and were among the worst teams in the league in expected points allowed per punt.