How 49ers' Kyle Shanahan can cement himself as Coach of the Year

This might be his finest season yet.

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has led the team to an 11-4  record, putting the team in position to control their own destiny for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. 

At the midway point in the season, the thought of the 49ers fighting for the first seed was unforeseen due to injuries. 

The team is without star defensive anchors Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the entire season, and also missed offensive weapons Brock Purdy and George Kittle for a large portion of the year.

Despite adversity, Shanahan has been able to piece together a resilient group, proving to find new ways to win every week. 

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Coming off a 48-27 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, the 49ers will now look to win out in high-stakes matchups against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.  

Shanahan has flipped the identity of the 49ers, moving away from the veteran-heavy, drama-filled 2024-25 team that went 6–11 toward a 2025–26 team that looks to have more continuity and is benefiting from fresh faces.

“When you have a veteran team that's gone through going to the NFC Championship or the Super Bowl three out of four years, that's all you focus on." Shanahan said. “I had to tell them the reality that’s not the case… we need to focus on being the best team we can be and earning the right to talk that way.”

The 49ers' identity shift proved to be the right mentality for the season. The 49ers haven’t wavered when injuries and adversity struck; they focused on being the best team they could be. 

Shanahan saved the season before it started by bolstering their coaching staff. You can credit Shanahan for the additions of Robert Saleh and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.   

Saleh has head coaching experience and has shown the ability to elevate a young 49ers defense that might’ve been helpless with an inexperienced coordinator. Boyer has transformed the 49ers’ special teams from one of the league’s worst last season into its best. 

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For years, Shanahan has been recognized as one of the NFL’s top head coaches, but has yet to win Coach of the Year due to an influx of talent. 

This season, the 49ers have been reliant on Shanahan to put them in position for success, and he has passed the test time and time again. 

Critics may say the 49ers had the weakest strength of schedule coming into the season, which is true. However, if the 49ers manage back-to-back wins against the Bears and Seahawks, both of whom are playoff-bound, that narrative could be shattered.

If the 49ers win out and become the No.1 seed, there is no doubt that Shanahan should be a top candidate for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.