Through the first five weeks of the season, the San Francisco 49ers have had several key players miss time due to injury, including quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, tight end George Kittle, left guard Ben Bartch, defensive end Nick Bosa and safety Malik Mustapha.
Despite these challenge, the 49ers have started the year with a 4-1 record, own the top spot in the NFC West and are currently tied for the top spot in the whole conference.
With that, a lot of credit has to go to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who still has his offense running well with a backup quarterback, backup tight ends, a backup left guard and depth wide receivers.
Many have been praising Shanahan for his efforts this year, including host Colin Cowherd, who has declared Shanahan as his favorite to take home a coveted annual award at this point in the season.
“I think Kyle Shanahan is having his best year as a coach,” Cowherd said on FS1’s “The Herd” earlier this week. “They don’t have Purdy, Aiyuk, Kittle, Jennings, Nick Bosa. They’re 3-0 on the road. Mac Jones looks like a Pro Bowler. This is great coaching. They’re the only team averaging 40 passes a game. Think about that, with Mac Jones. There’s no substitute teacher here. Christian McCaffrey [is] touching it more than I want him to. Cross your fingers on his health, but coaching matters, and Shanahan could be Coach of the Year right now. He’s coaching his butt off.”
Shanahan has never won the Coach of the Year award despite San Francisco winning 12 or more games three times during his eight years with the team. He did earn Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 with the Atlanta Falcons, when his offense led the league in points per game (34.1) and was second in yards per game (416.4).
Only two 49ers coaches have ever won Coach of the Year, Bill Walsh in 1981 and Jim Harbaugh in 2011. If the 49ers keep winning despite their injuries, Shanahan will be well on his way to his first.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Controversial media personality believes 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan is Coach of the Year so far
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
