3 Reasons why Kyle Shanahan Deserves the Coach of the Year Award

Entering year three of his contract this season, it was time for Shanahan to start putting up results from his two year rebuild. And boy have those results shown up magnificently. It is why he is the one deserving of the coach of the year award.

The 2019 season has been nothing short of stellar for the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan is a major reason why. 

Anytime a team in the NFL achieves immense success, the first person to look at is typically the head coach. Shanahan spent the first two seasons of his tenure establishing the right culture for the team, along with the help of general manager John Lynch. Entering year three of his contract this season, it was time for Shanahan to start putting up results from his two year rebuild. 

And boy have those results shown up magnificently. Now that the regular season is over with, there are cases to be made for yearly awards to players and coaches. The one of interest here is the coach of the year award, which Kyle Shanahan is the most deserving of. In fact, there are three reasons that support his case for the award.

From Worst to First

The first and obvious reason is that the San Francisco 49ers went from being one of the worst teams to arguably the best team in the league. It was such a quick turnaround that lead many fans and media alike to discredit the legitimacy of the 49ers’ success. They were just picking No. 2 overall as a 4-12 team in last April’s draft that it caused hesitation to actually believe if the 49ers were that great of a team. 

It’s pretty safe to say now that they are indeed a great one. Under Shanahan’s watch in 2019, the 49ers finished 13-3 en route to a division title and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Having such a drastic turnaround is an impressive accomplishment for Shanahan. Of course, the story-line for their dominant 8-0 start derived from their defensive performance which Shanahan has no gameday control of. 

However, Shanahan was the one who brought in the personnel. General manager John Lynch has a say in who they should sign, but it is really Shanahan who has the final say of it all. It’s another reason why he gets paid the big bucks outside of the gridiron. With all of the accolades Shanahan has brought the 49ers this season, it is the first reason why he is the coach of the year.

Overcoming Injuries

The aftermath of almost every 49er game this season had at least one key player sustain an injury. Injuries impact every team in the NFL, but the San Francisco 49ers were definitely one of the top teams to have suffered the most. To overcome so many injuries to key players meant that the coaching of Kyle Shanahan needed to be resilient. Not just from a game plan standpoint of easing a backup player’s role, but maintaining a strong mentality within the team. 

Look no further than when both Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, their two starting offensive tackles, went out of action for a bulk of the season. Losing one starting offensive tackle is already a tough spot to overcome, so to have both missing should have derailed the 49ers’ offense. However, that wasn’t the case at all. The 49ers were able to keep their consistency going on offense with two backup offensive tackles. 

Credit to both Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill who filled in, but the mastermind behind their success is Kyle Shanahan. The odds of having two backups perform exceptionally well is extremely low. But Shanahan was able to get them eased into their roles for the long haul. It’s all credit to his system and the way he gets his guys prepared.

Methodical play-calling

Speaking of Shanahan’s system, it is the third and final reason that he deserves to be named the coach of the year in 2019. He has had a hand in every facet for why the 49ers are success, but his ability to put players in a prime position to execute just may be his greatest success. The offensive system that Shanahan operates works to the point where he can plug-and-play almost anyone.

The fact that he can make two backup offensive lineman work shows how easy it is to transition into it. Even Daniel Brunskill has played three different positions on the offensive line, which is a credit to both him and Shanahan. All season long the 49ers have had a revolving door at running back. First it was Matt Breida who was the dominant runner in the first quarter, then it was Tevin Coleman who stole the show. Now the bulk of carries goes to Raheem Mostert.

Once again, credit to these players for executing and making the most of their opportunities. But Kyle Shanahan is a major factor for why these guys are succeeding so well. That ties back into his recruitment of these players by bringing in his optimal personnel to get the most out of his play-calling. It doesn't matter who is at running back and even wide receiver to a certain extent. Shanahan is the master puppeteer and he knows the right strings to pull. 

How many plays a game do we see at least one player motion or shift prior to the snap? He is just a master manipulator and knows how to expose a defense with his dynamic offense. And if his initial plan does not work, he will not continue to run the same concept that some meathead coaches like to do. Shanahan is the main reason for the success of the offense. The players do a fantastic job executing, but he is the one getting them in the right position.