Will Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers eventually be named the NFL’s greatest coach this year?
One of the finalists for the 2023 NFL Coach of the Year title is Kyle Shanahan. This was to be expected considering the incredible 49ers season thus far.
You can almost always count on being named a finalist for the award if you lead a team to the No. 1 seed with a 12-5 record. In addition, Shanahan deserves credit for Brock Purdy’s recent performance and the offense’s prolific nature. Dan Campbell of the Lions, John Harbaugh of the Ravens, Kevin Stefanski of the Browns, and DeMeco Ryans of the Texans are the other finalists for the honor.
Given that Shanahan is likely the best coach of them all, one would think he would win the honor. Regretfully, head coaches who have guided overachieving teams have largely received the Coach of the Year honor. In other words, it goes to the coach who elevated a team that finished last season at the bottom to relevance or significance this year. Since 2019, the 49ers have essentially had outstanding success every year.
Shanahan receives the award year after year, and in a sense, he is being punished for it. Looked at from that angle, it seems kind of unjust. When Shanahan was originally nominated in 2019, he ought to have received the Coach of the Year award by now.
It is my hunch that Ryans, the former defensive coordinator for the 49ers, will be the coach of the year. Because Ryans was a cherished 49ers player, I don’t think Shanahan or even fans will have many concerns. Who knows, though? It might very well turn out to be Shanahan. I simply wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen.
In either case, Shanahan’s repeated selection as a finalist speaks much about the quality of coach he is.