San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds. His performance last season—leading an injury-riddled roster to a 12-win campaign and a playoff berth—only strengthened that reputation.
However, it wasn't enough to earn Shanahan a top-three spot in the Associated Press' ranking of the NFL's best head coaches.
Shanahan landed at No. 4, trailing Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, and Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks.
Part of the reason may be Shanahan's inability to capture a Super Bowl title. Although he has guided the 49ers to two Super Bowl appearances, San Francisco came up short both times.
"Shanahan is the only coach on the top 5 list who hasn't won a Super Bowl," Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press wrote. "He guided the injury-depleted 49ers to a 12-5 record last season and a Week 18 matchup against Seattle for the No. 1 seed. San Francisco beat Philadelphia on the road in the playoffs before losing to Seattle in the divisional round."
Despite that, Shanahan's résumé continues to place him among the NFL's elite coaches. He owns an 82-67 regular-season record, has led the 49ers to the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons, and is 9-5 in postseason action.
"In nine seasons, Shanahan has led the 49ers to five playoff appearances and two Super Bowl appearances, including an overtime loss to Kansas City," Maaddi added.
The 49ers will once again enter the 2026 season with Super Bowl aspirations. Reaching that goal won't be easy, however, as they'll have to navigate a loaded NFC West featuring the Super Bowl-favorite Rams and the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
The Associated Press' top 5 NFL head coaches:
- Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
- Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
- Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
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