Is 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan on the Hot Seat Entering 2025?

So much is at stake for Kyle Shanahan this year.

Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (left) and general manager John Lynch watch their team work out during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

So much is at stake for Kyle Shanahan this year.

He's entering his ninth season as the 49ers' head coach. Four times, he has led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. The other four times, he oversaw double-digit loss seasons.

So if the 49ers go back to the playoffs this year, he'll have more winning seasons than losing seasons. He just might get another contract extension.

But if the 49ers have another losing season this year, then Shanahan officially will be responsible for more losing campaigns than winning ones. And that's a dangerous position to be in entering Year 10 of his tenure as the 49ers head coach.

Bill Walsh coached the 49ers for 10 years. After that, the 49ers felt he was burned out, and that's why he retired. Shanahan has to prove that he deserves to coach the 49ers as long as Walsh did. Because Walsh had to win three Super Bowls to earn those 10 seasons.

Shanahan hasn't won any Super Bowls. He missed two golden opportunities to win them, and now the core of his team is getting old. If he can't show ownership that he can build a new, younger core, then he might not be the right head coach for this team going forward.

In addition, Shanahan's replacement is in the building already. That's defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. If the 49ers want to move on from Shanahan, they can promote Saleh to head coach and keep most of Shanahan's coaching staff.

Something for Shanahan to keep in mind this season.