Why 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Keeps Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

It couldn't be his last name.

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Bleacher Report recently released its list of the best coaches in the NFL. It looked similar to almost every other list at the top. Yes, you can shuffle a couple of names around, but the six or seven tend to be the same in whatever order you rank them. What stands out the most about these rankings is San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. 

Every year, he is listed amongst the best coaches in the NFL. He is essentially treated like a Super Bowl-winning coach. However, he is always the highest-rated coach to not win a Super Bowl and is typically ranked over a coach who has. 

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan remains highly rated 

Kyle Shanahan came in third in the recent head coach ranking. Sean McVay and Andy Reid are the two head coaches ahead of him. Considering Reid beat him in their two most recent Super Bowl losses, and McVay and the Rams beat Shanahan on the way to their most recent Super Bowl win, it is hard to argue either name against Shanahan. 

Still, that also means that Shanahan ranked ahead of Mike MacDonald, Sean Payton, and Nick Sirianni. Those three rounded out the top six coaches. The notable difference between the three coaches directly below Shanahan and Shanahan is the Super Bowl rings.

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Sure, MacDonald just won his, and he is only entering his third year as a head coach. That is not enough to pause his ascent. Still, he did go 2-1 against Shanahan last year, and Shanahan admitted that he struggles with his defense. 

A case can be made that Payton did not win a Super Bowl with the team he is coaching. He won a Super Bowl over a decade ago. Still, he did achieve the goal that Shanahan has not. 

Lastly, Shanahan beat Sirianni the last time that they played. Sirianni gets downplayed often as his coordinators and players get the credit. He seems to always be on the hot seat. Still, if you asked Sirianni if he would trade places with Shanahan, he would say no. Shanahan would have to think if would rather have the Super Bowl than Sirianni does. 

Mike Vrabel and Jim Harbaugh are seventh and eighth. They are the closest to Shanahan in their resumes. They made the Super Bowl but did not win it. It will be interesting to see how long Shanahan can maintain his regard as a top-tier head coach when he is the only non-Super Bowl winner in that tier.