San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan is easily the Coach of the Year so far

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has led his team to an undefeated 8-0 record so far and is easily the NFL’s Coach of the Year through nine weeks.

The San Francisco 49ers were a team out to prove themselves in 2019 after residing in the NFL’s basement for the better part of the last four seasons. And they were led by a head coach in Kyle Shanahan seeking to do the same.

Through eight weeks, both team and coach alike have done just that.

The 49ers are 8-0 left as the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL solidifying what has been a truly magical season for San Francisco. Not only have they vaulted themselves out of the depths of NFL ineptitude, but they have catapulted directly into the NFL’s elite.

And despite entering the season with a 6-22 record in his first two years as a head coach, Shanahan has managed to silence all of his doubters and is now the clear-cut favorite for Coach of the Year.

light. Read. San Francisco 49ers: This team is good, but just how good are they?

When the 49ers hired Shanahan prior to the 2017 season, the expectation was that they were getting one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game to lead their franchise. However, while already an acclaimed offensive guru, he had yet to prove himself as a head coach.

There have been plenty of coordinators — both offensive and defensive — throughout NFL history who have thrived as assistant coaches focusing on their particular skill set. But it takes much more to be an NFL head coach.

You need to be able to relate to players, delegate to your subordinates, and play a role in controlling each aspect of the team — among a litany of other responsibilities.

While many coaches are able to put together an offensive gameplan or coordinate a defense, there’s no telling how many have failed as head coaches over time.

And through two seasons, there were many who believed that Shanahan would be the next failed young offensive mind to go down that path.

But if 2019 is any indicator, we may be looking at one of the NFL’s next top-tier coaches developing before our very eyes.

More from Golden Gate Sports

That seems to be one thing that people often overlooked when analyzing coaches. Much like players, coaches are hardly finished products early in their careers. They too develop over time and learn from their experiences.

We’ve seen just that from Shanahan over the past few seasons.

Shanahan has gone from an inexperienced coordinator to a legitimate NFL head coach and his slight improvements have made a world of difference for this 49ers team.

Sure, this roster is significantly more talented than the one he was tasked with working with his first two seasons. But Shanahan has always found a way to scheme receivers open and produce on the ground.

It just helps to have a healthy quarterback and a competent offensive line.