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Report: 49ers hire Tony Sparano as tight ends coach

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The San Francisco 49ers have hired Tony Sparano as their next tight ends coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Sparano spent the past two seasons with the Oakland Raiders, originally coaching the offensive line with an assistant head coach title before taking over as the interim head coach four games into the 2014 season.

Though he was thought to be a finalist for the full-time job in Oakland after leading the team to its only three wins of the season, the Raiders instead opted to hire Jack Del Rio.

With Sparano taking over the tight ends job, Eric Mangini - who has held the position since 2013 - will likely find himself in a new position before long.

A respected defensive mind and former head coach, Mangini has interviewed for both the 49ers and the Raiders' defensive coordinator vacancies.

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