.jpg) Shanahan with theSan Francisco 49ers in 2019 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1979-12-14)December 14, 1979 (age 46) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 181 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Saratoga(Saratoga, California) |
| College | |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | 82–67 (.550) |
| Postseason | 9–5 (.643) |
| Career | 91–72 (.558) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Kyle Michael Shanahan[1] (born December 14, 1979) is an American professionalfootball coach who is thehead coach for theSan Francisco 49ers of theNational Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as theoffensive coordinator for theAtlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reachSuper Bowl LI. Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers the following season, leading the team to three division titles, five postseason appearances, fourNFC Championship Game appearances, and twoSuper Bowl appearances (LIV andLVIII).
Shanahan was born inMinneapolis, where his father,Mike Shanahan, was the offensive coordinator at theUniversity of Minnesota.[2] He attendedSaratoga High School inSaratoga, California, in 1994, while his father worked as offensive coordinator for theSan Francisco 49ers.[3] Shanahan later attendedCherry Creek High School inGreenwood Village, Colorado, while his father served as head coach of theDenver Broncos.[4]
Shanahan accepted a scholarship offer byCarl Franks ofDuke University, but chose to transfer as aredshirt freshman to theUniversity of Texas at Austin where he started out as a walk-on.[5] Shanahan playedwide receiver on aLonghorn team that featured future college coachMajor Applewhite, future NFL assistant coachRichard Hightower (who worked with him in San Francisco) as well as future NFL playersRoy Williams,Cedric Benson,Bo Scaife,Mike Williams,Quentin Jammer, andChris Simms.[6] Shanahan caught 14 passes for 127 yards in his career for theUniversity of Texas at Austin.[7]
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||
| Values fromPro Day[8] | ||||||||||||
I studied every potential Xs and Os play and issue possible. I spent my whole life working on that. My goal was that any question a player could have about anything on the field, I'd be able to answer it.
— Kyle Shanahan, 2006[9]
Shortly after graduating from Texas in 2003, Shanahan became agraduate assistant toKarl Dorrell atUCLA.[10][11] As a graduate assistant, he worked with players likeMaurice Jones-Drew,Marcedes Lewis, andDrew Olson.[12] However, Shanahan still had to take classes and could not spend all his time on football.[13]
Shanahan was hired as assistant coach for offensivequality control under head coachJon Gruden with theTampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.[14] As a quality control coach, Shanahan helped break down game film and drew diagrams of plays for the playbook. He has said that his time spent using the computer programSuperPaint to draw up plays for Gruden introduced him to many plays used in theNFL.[15]
In 2006, Shanahan was hired byGary Kubiak to serve as thewide receivers coach for theHouston Texans.[16] Kubiak had previously served asoffensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan with the Broncos. At the time, Kyle Shanahan was the youngest position coach in the NFL. The following season, Shanahan became the Texans'quarterbacks coach.[17] In 2007, he had also been offered to become offensive coordinator at theUniversity of Minnesota, where former Broncos assistantTim Brewster just became head coach. Shanahan declined, citing his decision to be an NFL coach.[18] Shanahan was immediately considered the frontrunner for the vacant offensive coordinator position afterMike Sherman had left the Texans to take over as head coach atTexas A&M University.[19]
On January 11, 2008, Shanahan was officially promoted, becoming the youngest coordinator in the NFL, being more than three years younger thanJosh McDaniels of theNew England Patriots.[20] Despite his lack of experience, Shanahan found near instant success overseeing an NFL offense. The Texans finished their2008 season third in yards per game.[21] This reflected the individual success of his top offensive players that year. The Texans' starting quarterbackMatt Schaub led the league in passing yards, and wide receiverAndre Johnson led the league in receiving yards.[21]
In 2010, Shanahan left the Texans to join his father,Mike, with theWashington Redskins. The Redskins' performance during his tenure led some to question whether Shanahan's hiring was an example of unearned nepotism.[22] Washington struggled under Shanahan, failing to post a winning record for any of the three seasons that he was on staff.[23] According to Shanahan, this poor performance helped him learn about the need to adjust his playbook when switching to a new team.[21] Despite the overall team performance, the scheme and offense that Shanahan implemented during his time at Washington, especially his use ofread option plays, was very highly regarded in the NFL.[24] His future head coach at theCleveland Browns,Mike Pettine, once said that Shanahan's offenses were some of the hardest to prepare for from the defensive side of the ball.[24]
Conflict over how to manage the offense for star rookie quarterback,Robert Griffin III, dominated Shanahan's tenure with Washington. In the2012 NFL Draft, Washington courted controversy by selecting two players at the quarterback position: Robert Griffin III in the first round andKirk Cousins in the fourth round.[25] Shanahan catered the offense to Griffin III, creating a playbook based on what he was used to atBaylor.[26] However, in the Week 14 game against theBaltimore Ravens on December 9, Griffin III was injured whendefensive endHaloti Ngata hit Griffin directly at his right knee, twisting it in the process.[27][28] Kirk Cousins then came into the game and led the team to a 31–28 overtime victory.[29] This injury forced the team to start Cousins in the team's week 15 game. ESPN has reported that team ownerDan Snyder assured Griffin III that no matter how well Cousins played, he would not get the starting spot.[30] This incident led to a confrontation between Shanahan's father, head coach Mike Shanahan, and Snyder and created tension between the Shanahans and ownership for the rest of their tenure.[30]
In 2012, Shanahan was fined $25,000 for insulting the replacement officials and confronting one after a loss to theCincinnati Bengals.[31]
In early December 2013, ESPN reported that Mike Shanahan was frustrated with the special treatment that he believed that Robert Griffin III received from Snyder.[32] This led Shanahan to preemptively clean out his office ahead of the start of the2012–13 NFL playoffs.[32] On December 30, 2013, Kyle, along with his father and some of the coaching staff, were fired from the Redskins.[33]
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On February 1, 2014, it was reported by media outlets that Shanahan was hired as offensive coordinator for theCleveland Browns.[34] Prior to being hired by the Browns, he interviewed for the vacant offensive coordinator jobs held by theMiami Dolphins[35] andBaltimore Ravens.[36]
In May 2014, at theNFL Draft the Browns traded up to select the star college quarterback,Johnny Manziel.[37] According to ESPN, the Browns front office's eagerness to replace starting quarterbackBrian Hoyer with Manziel led to conflict with Browns coaches, including Shanahan.[38] Manziel replaced Hoyer in the Week 13 match against theBuffalo Bills and was given the starting job two weeks later against theCincinnati Bengals.[39] However, Manziel struggled to execute Shanahan's scheme and played poorly, throwing two interceptions in the game and posting aquarterback rating of 1.0.[39]
In January 2015, Shanahan compiled a 32-page document for the Browns explaining why it would be best for him to be released from the two remaining years of his contract.[40] On January 8, 2015, the Browns accepted Shanahan's resignation from his offensive coordinator position, with ESPN reporting that the team and Shanahan were at odds over Johnny Manziel .[38]
On January 18, 2015, theAtlanta Falcons hired Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator.[41][42]
Shanahan's first season with the Falcons was a disappointment, with the offense ending the2015 season ranked 21st in points.[43] The offensive struggles included the Falcons' firstshutout since 2004, losing 38–0 to theCarolina Panthers.[44] Despite the lack of results, Shanahan believed that the team was really close to success, only needing a few extra pieces to significantly improve.[43]
The2016 season went much better. Putting the previous year's 8–8 campaign behind them, the Falcons' offense under Shanahan was the highest-scoring offense in the league in 2016 and finished atop the NFC South with an 11–5 record. The team went on to reachSuper Bowl LI against theNew England Patriots.[45] Shanahan was named theNFL Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2016 season.[46] He was also named Coordinator of the Year bySporting News and Assistant Coach of the Year by thePro Football Writers of America.[47]
During Super Bowl LI, the Falcons held a 28–3 lead over the Patriots in the third quarter, in part thanks to Shanahan's play-calling and the Falcons' execution of those plays. However, Shanahan was criticized for being too aggressive by not using a ball-control running attack late in the game, a decision considered by many to have contributed to the Falcons losing their 25-point lead, as they eventually lost the game in overtime by a score of 34–28.[48][49]
Despite the sour ending to his Atlanta tenure, Shanahan has stated that he bears no ill will towards the Falcons and credited his two years working for head coach,Dan Quinn as an important learning experience.[50] Indeed, Quinn's Falcon coaching staff was something of a brain trust. Shanahan's offensive coaching staff under Quinn included two future NFL head coaches,Matt LaFleur andMike McDaniel.[51] Quinn's defensive assistants also included two future NFL head coaches,Raheem Morris andJeff Ulbrich.
On February 6, 2017, the day after the Super Bowl, Shanahan was officially hired as the next head coach of theSan Francisco 49ers, signing a six-year deal.[52][53][54] Shanahan won his first preseason game 27–17 against theKansas City Chiefs on August 11, 2017.[55] However, the 49ers began the season with nine consecutive losses.[56] On November 12, 2017, Shanahan won his first regular-season game, against theNew York Giants by a score of 31–21.[57] Three weeks later, the 49ers pulled out a narrow 15–14 road victory over theChicago Bears, which marked the first start for quarterbackJimmy Garoppolo as a 49er.[58] In the regular-season finale, the 49ers defeated theLos Angeles Rams on the road 34–13, ending the season on a five-game win streak, and winning six out of the last seven games, to finish 6–10. The prior year, the 49ers had won only two games.[59][60]
In 2018, the 49ers won only four games.[61] The team was impacted by an early season-endingtorn ACL to starting quarterback Garoppolo.[62] Garoppolo's injury was immediately viewed as ruining the 49ers' hopes for the season, despite Shanahan's optimistic outlook on Garoppolo's replacement,C. J. Beathard.[63]
The 49ers won their first eight games of the 2019 season, making Shanahan only the third coach, along withTom Landry andMarvin Lewis to begin 8–0 after an earlier 0–8 season start.[56] The 49ers finished the regular season with a 13–3 record, winning theNFC West division title and securing the #1-seed in the NFC, giving the team home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.[64][65] The 49ers defeated theMinnesota Vikings 27–10 during theDivisional Round[66] and advanced to theNFC Championship Game, where they defeated theGreen Bay Packers 37–20 to advance toSuper Bowl LIV.[67] Despite taking a 20–10 lead in the second half, the 49ers lost to theKansas City Chiefs by a score of 31–20.[68] For his part, Shanahan won theSporting News NFL Coach of the Year award and was the runner-up for the AP NFL Coach of the Year, losing toJohn Harbaugh.
On June 15, 2020, the 49ers signed Shanahan to a new six-year contract extension through the 2025 season.[69][70] He was fined $100,000 by the NFL for not properly wearing aface mask, as required for coaches during theCOVID-19 pandemic, during a Week 2 matchup in the2020 NFL season.[71] The 49ers suffered multiple injuries to key starters throughout the season and missed the playoffs, finishing with a 6–10 record.[72][73][74]
Shanahan was fined $50,000 by the NFL on July 1, 2021, for violating practice rules during organized team activities.[75] After starting theseason 3–5, the 49ers won seven of their last nine games to finish 10–7 and enter the postseason as a wild card team with the #6-seed.[76][77] They defeated theDallas Cowboys on the road 23–17 in theWild Card Round[78] and defeated theGreen Bay Packers on the road 13–10 during theDivisional Round,[79] before losing on the road 20–17 in theNFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl ChampionLos Angeles Rams.[80]
In2022, Shanahan led the 49ers to a 13–4 regular season mark, which earned the team the NFC West title and the #2-seed in the NFC for the postseason.[81][82] The 49ers accomplished their regular season success despite injuries toTrey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. The emergence of rookieBrock Purdy as the team's starting quarterback in the latter part of the season contributed to the team's success, as well as providing a terrific narrative, as Purdy had been the last player drafted that year, earning that year's tongue-in-cheek title ofMr. Irrelevant.[83][84] Shanahan helped lead the 49ers to a third NFC Championship Game appearance in four seasons following victories over theSeattle Seahawks during theWild Card Round and theDallas Cowboys in theDivisional Round.[85][86] During theNFC Championship Game against thePhiladelphia Eagles, the 49ers were forced to substituteJosh Johnson in for an injured Purdy. Johnson suffered a concussion and was forced to leave the game as well. Purdy then returned to finish the game, but was ineffective due to his injury, virtually unable to throw. The 49ers lost on the road 31–7.[87] For the season, Shanahan came in second place in voting for the AP Coach of the year award, this time behindBrian Daboll of the Giants.[88]
Prior to the2023 season, Shanahan signed a contract extension through 2027.[89] In 2023, he led the 49ers to a 12–5 record, winning the NFC West for the second straight season and being named a finalist for the AP Coach of the Year award.[88][90] He led the team to victories over theGreen Bay Packers in theDivisional Round and theDetroit Lions in theNFC Championship game, where they stormed back from a 24–7 halftime deficit against Detroit, en route toSuper Bowl LVIII, where San Francisco faced theKansas City Chiefs in a rematch ofSuper Bowl LIV.[91][92]
Like the initial matchup between the two teams four years earlier, the 49ers opened up a 10-point lead before Kansas City rallied and eventually emerged victorious yet again, this time by a score of 25–22 in overtime.[93] It was just the second overtime game in Super Bowl history, the first beingSuper Bowl LI in which Shanahan had served as offensive coordinator for theAtlanta Falcons. He received backlash for electing to receive possession first in overtime after winning the coin toss, rather than letPatrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense see the field first, which would have allowed the 49ers to gameplan based on the result of Kansas City's drive, since both offenses would get an opportunity in the extra period, regardless of whether or not a touchdown was scored in the first drive, after new postseason overtime rules were implemented following the2021–22 NFL playoffs.[94] Shanahan was also criticized after some 49ers players claimed that they were not aware of the updated overtime rules.[95][96]
In a2024 season marred by injuries, Shanahan led the team to a 6–11 record.[97]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SF | 2017 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2018 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3rd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2019 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toKansas City Chiefs inSuper Bowl LIV |
| SF | 2020 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2021 | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3rd in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toLos Angeles Rams inNFC Championship Game |
| SF | 2022 | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 1st in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles inNFC Championship Game |
| SF | 2023 | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 1st in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toKansas City Chiefs inSuper Bowl LVIII |
| SF | 2024 | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 4th in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 2025 | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 3rd in NFC West | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toSeattle Seahawks inNFC Divisional Game |
| Total | 82 | 67 | 0 | .550 | 9 | 5 | .643 | |||
Shanahan has served under six head coaches:
Six of Shanahan's assistants have been hired as head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:[104]
Shanahan met his future wife, Amanda O'Donnell, in high school. They dated throughout high school and college and got married in 2005. They have three children.[114][115]
