Kyle Shanahan has been around football for his entire life, so the 49ers mastermind has plenty of peers who have witnessed his rise from college player to NFL head coach.
Former NFL guard and current FOX Sports analyst Mark Schlereth spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan on Friday at Radio Row in Las Vegas about Shanahan’s progression as a coach. Schlereth knows Shanahan well, considering he spent a good chunk of his NFL career alongside Shanahan’s father Mike with the Denver Broncos.
When asked what his impressions were of the younger Shanahan’s coaching ability since taking over as the head coach of the 49ers in 2017, Schlereth was full of praise.
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“I think he’s phenomenal; I think he’s the best coach in football,” Schlereth said. “When it comes to coaching your guys, I think the thing that really resonates with me is the way he creates opportunities in the offense.”
Schlereth went on to describe that Shanahan is more capable than most people give him credit for. Despite being known as an innovative offensive coach, he can coach all aspects of the team.
“When you sit and watch him at practice, he can coach everything, it’s not just the offense," Schlereth said. "He knows where you’re supposed to be on the defensive side of the ball, all those things.”
He then pointed out that there is an aspect to both Shanahans that sets them apart from many other NFL coaches, due to their extensive knowledge of the game and ability to explain to players why they do the things they do and how it will benefit the entire team.
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“But what sets him apart for me is a lot of what set Mike Shanahan apart: They do such a good job of not only coaching the players, but coaching the coaches and then helping you understand why we’re doing things, the history of this play, why we want to do this," Schlereth said. "And not only are we going to tell you what we’re going to do, we’re going to tell you why we want to do it, how we’re going to do it and then ultimately if we do it those ways, how it’s going to benefit each and every player.”
Later on, Schlereth described another key coaching aspect, the fact that many of the predictions the Shanahans make about the flow of the game end up coming true, which is a huge confidence boost.
“Everything they told you was going to happen, happens," Schlereth said. "And then when that goes down, you’re like, ‘This dude is on it.’ It creates a confidence in your football team and within you as a player that what my coaches are asking me to do and what we’re being coached to do is: If we execute there’s no stopping us.”
When asked what he thought of the younger Shanahan’s progression from high school and college wide receiver to NFL head coach, Schlereth explained that he was always struck by his dedication even as a prep athlete.
“He was always around, in high school and in college as well, running with our receivers in OTAs, so he was doing the drills, he was working on the jugs machine, he was running routes with Eddie McCaffrey, he was running routes with Rod Smith like he was part of the team," Schlereth said. "For him to get into coaching, something that he knew so well, something that he absorbed, he was around all the time with his father, and to watch him do what he does, he’s incredible.”
Shanahan has had a lot of success since taking over the coaching reins of the 49ers in 2017, but winning the Super Bowl still has eluded him. After two heartbreaking loses in the previous two Super Bowls he was a part of, Shanahan will look to join his dad as a Super Bowl-winning coach.
The task will not be easy as the 49ers will face the fearsome Kansas City Chiefs' defense, with the chess match between Shanahan and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo looming large in determining the outcome of the game.