Kyle Shanahan facts for kids
.jpg)
Shanahan with the 49ers in 2019
|
|
| San Francisco 49ers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 14, 1979 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colorado) |
| College: |
|
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 70–62 (.530) |
| Postseason: | 8–4 (.667) |
| Career: | 78–66 (.542) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Kyle Michael Shanahan (born December 14, 1979) is an American professional football coach. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL).
Before becoming a head coach, he was known as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2016, his offense scored the most points in the league. This helped the Falcons reach Super Bowl LI. The next year, Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers. He has led them to win their division three times. His teams have also made it to the playoffs four times. They have played in the NFC Championship Game four times. The 49ers also reached the Super Bowl twice under his leadership (LIV and LVIII).
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Kyle Shanahan was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Mike Shanahan, was also a football coach. He was an offensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota when Kyle was born.
Kyle went to high school in California and Colorado. This was because his father coached for the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Kyle played wide receiver in college. He first went to Duke University. Then he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin. He played for the Longhorns from 1999 to 2002.
Coaching Career Journey
Starting in College
After college, Kyle Shanahan became a graduate assistant coach at UCLA in 2003. He helped coach players and learned a lot about football strategies. He once said, "I studied every potential Xs and Os play and issue possible. My goal was that any question a player could have about anything on the field, I'd be able to answer it."
First NFL Jobs
In 2004, Shanahan joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was an offensive quality control coach. This job involved studying game films and drawing plays for the team's playbook. He learned many plays used in the NFL.
In 2006, he moved to the Houston Texans. He started as the wide receivers coach. He was the youngest position coach in the NFL at that time. The next year, he became the Texans' quarterback coach. In 2008, he was promoted again. He became the youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL.
Working with His Father
In 2010, Shanahan joined his father, Mike Shanahan, with the Washington Redskins. He was the offensive coordinator there. Some people wondered if his hiring was fair because his dad was the head coach. In 2013, Kyle and his father were both let go from the Redskins.
Moving to Other Teams
After Washington, Shanahan became the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2014. He left the team in 2015 due to disagreements with the head coach.
Success with the Atlanta Falcons
On January 18, 2015, the Atlanta Falcons hired Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator. In 2016, the Falcons' offense was the best in the league at scoring points. They had a great season and reached Super Bowl LI. Shanahan was named the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for his work.
In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons had a big lead of 28–3. But the New England Patriots came back and won the game in overtime. Some people thought Shanahan's play-calling late in the game contributed to the Falcons losing their big lead.
Leading the San Francisco 49ers
On February 6, 2017, Shanahan became the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a six-year contract. In his first season, the 49ers started with nine losses. But they finished strong, winning six of their last seven games. They ended the season with a 6–10 record, which was much better than the previous year.
In 2018, the team struggled and won only four games. Their starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, got a serious injury early in the season.
The 2019 season was amazing for the 49ers. They won their first eight games. They finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. They won their division and had the best record in their conference. This gave them home-field advantage in the playoffs. The 49ers won their playoff games and reached Super Bowl LIV. However, they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Shanahan was named the Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year.
In 2020, the 49ers had many key players injured. They finished the season with a 6–10 record and missed the playoffs.
In 2021, the 49ers started with a 3–5 record. But they won seven of their last nine games to make the playoffs. They won two playoff games on the road. They beat the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. They then lost a close game to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl.
In 2022, Shanahan led the 49ers to a 13–4 record. They won their division again. The team had success even with injuries to their main quarterbacks. A rookie quarterback named Brock Purdy stepped up and played very well. He was the very last player picked in the draft that year, earning him the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant." The 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Before the 2023 season, Shanahan signed a contract extension until 2027. He led the 49ers to a 12–5 record, winning the NFC West for the second year in a row. They won their playoff games against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. This sent them to Super Bowl LVIII for a rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers had a 10-point lead, but the Chiefs came back and won 25–22 in overtime. Shanahan faced some criticism for his decision to receive the ball first in overtime. Some 49ers players also said they didn't know about the new overtime rules.
Head Coaching Record
| 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 to Kansas City Chiefs in Super 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 to Los Angeles Rams in NFC Championship Game |
| SF | 2022 | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 1st in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in NFC Championship Game |
| SF | 2023 | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 1st in NFC West | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII |
| Total | 70 | 62 | 0 | .530 | 8 | 4 | .667 | |||
Coaching Connections
Shanahan has worked under six different head coaches:
- Karl Dorrell, UCLA (2003)
- Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004–2005)
- Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (2006–2009)
- Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins (2010–2013)
- Mike Pettine, Cleveland Browns (2014)
- Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons (2015–2016)
Four of Shanahan's assistant coaches have gone on to become head coaches in the NFL or college football:
- Jeff Hafley, Boston College (2020–2023)
- Robert Saleh, New York Jets (2021–2024)
- Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (2022–present)
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (2023–present)
Personal Life
Kyle Shanahan met his wife, Amanda O'Donnell, when they were in high school. They got married in 2005 and have three children together.
