The 49ers officially landed their new coach Monday. As expected, they hired Kyle Shanahan a day after the Falcons dropped a heartbreaker to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
Shanahan, 37, served as the Falcons' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Previously, he's been an offensive coordinator with the Browns, Redskins, and Texans.
This year, Atlanta led the league in scoring (33.8 points per game) thanks to Matt Ryan's MVP season and rode its offense all the way to Super Bowl LI in Houston, where they choked away a 25-point lead in the second half and eventually lost in overtime. Due to some suspect play calling late in the game, Shanahan has taken a fair bit of heat in the aftermath of the loss.
Officially getting a head coaching gig definitely isn't the worst way to rebound, though.
"This is a very exciting day for the San Francisco 49ers and our fans," said 49ers CEO Jed York, per the team's website. "Throughout this process, we learned many things about Kyle that convinced us he is the perfect coach to lead this team. Over the years, he has proven to be one of the brightest minds in the game of football and his recent success speaks for itself. Kyle's leadership has brought the best out of his players at every phase of his career and we look forward to watching him build a talented staff to accomplish the same with our players."
Of course, this is a move that's been expected for some time. It's just been a matter of timing, as the Falcons' season lasted until Sunday. Even when the Falcons hired a general manger in John Lynch last week, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported that the 49ers were "Shanahan's franchise" and that he'll be "in charge." Furthermore, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported at the time that Lynch actually called Shanahan to volunteer himself for the job.
So yes, this is Shanahan's franchise to fix. But it won't be easy for the son of two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan.
"The San Francisco 49ers are very fortunate to be able to bring in a coach of the caliber of Kyle Shanahan," said Lynch. "As an offensive mind, I think he stands alone in the National Football League, as evidenced by the explosive and record-setting offense in Atlanta. Though he grew up around coaching, what has most impressed me about Kyle is that he's become his own man in the profession. Our philosophies on football and our visions for leading the 49ers back to being a championship team align in every way. I am thrilled to have Kyle Shanahan on board."
The 49ers have gone 7-25 in the past two seasons. They've fired coaches (Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly) in consecutive offseasons. Their roster is devoid of talent, including at the quarterback position.
To fix that, Shanahan reportedly plans to target Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Matt Schaub, the latter of whom being plenty familiar to the new coach after serving as the Falcons' backup quarterback. The 49ers also hold the second pick in this year's draft, which they could use to address the position or one of the many others they need to upgrade.
"I am very excited to dedicate myself to the process that lies ahead," Shanahan said. "The first step in that process is identifying talented individuals who love the game of football as much as John and I do -- coaches, players and staff. We are looking for individuals who work hard and are dedicated to doing things the right way, always in the best interest of the team. Most importantly, we want to give our fans a team they can be proud of on and off the field."
