Grading Kyle Shanahan's Tenure with the 49ers
On February 6, 2017, Kyle Shanahan was hired to become the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Since then, the 49ers have recorded a record of 6-10, 4-12 and 13-3 over the three seasons under Shanahan.
So how would you grade his tenure thus far?
Prior to Shanahan taking over in 2017, the 49ers were coming off a two-win season, the franchise's worst record in over a decade. Things under Shanahan didn't click immediately but, since his arrival, he and general manager John Lynch have brought stability to the top of the organization and continuity throughout the team's roster.
Prior to Shanahan's first season on the 49ers sideline, he was considered a quarterback mastermind after guiding Matt Ryan to an MVP season.
Initially, Shanahan took over the 49ers offense without a respectable starting quarterback. But since acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo, Shanahan has shown how truly brilliant he can be when calling an offensive gameplan.
The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and in 2018 when Garoppolo was put on season-ending injured reserve after just three starts, I'm sure deep down even Shanahan knew it wasn't going to be an easy trek the rest of the way. But quite frankly, most NFL teams fall off after their starting quarterback goes down for the year.
When Shanahan has a healthy Garoppolo under center, the 49ers are 21-6. Obviously, there are several elements that go into producing wins in the NFL, but Shanahan has done a tremendous job of drafting and putting guys in the right place to get the most out of each player.
He's turned George Kittle (fifth-round pick) and Raheem Mostert (undrafted) into stars in this league.
When he was hired, the 49ers were in complete rebuild mode after three consecutive seasons of not making the playoffs, including one season where they held the worst record in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns.
It's been quite the transformation. Three years later and the 49ers have reached the Super Bowl and have aspirations to do so again in 2020.
Shanahan is now regarded as one of the best offensive play-callers in the NFL and the 49ers clearly think the same, as they awarded him a multi-year extension last month that locks him up until 2025.
That's why he gets an "A" grade.
It might feel hyperbolic to think Shanahan's tenure with the 49ers is worthy of an A grade despite recording two seasons with losing records. However, the first season he inherited a team that needed a new facelift and the following season was without a true starting quarterback.
If Shanahan was on the open market, how many teams would cut bait with their current head coach to hire him? Odds are the majority of the NFL would make a pitch to Shanahan.
It's not all about where a head coach starts but rather how he can guide the ship towards success. After rejuvenating the current state of the franchise over his first few seasons, the expectations are that Shanahan will continue to produce winning seasons for several years to come.
The future is bright with Shanahan calling the shots for the 49ers.
