Getty Kyle Shanahan
Led by head coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida for Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2. This game is projected to be one of the tightest Super Bowl matchups in recent memory, and Shanahan has a lot of weight on his shoulders to pull out a win.
However, 49ers team owner Jed York is confident in his head coach, which is why he signed Shanahan to a six-year contract in 2017. Shanahan, the 20th head coach in San Francisco’s franchise history, was signed at the same time as general manager John Lynch, who also signed a six-year deal. On average, Shanahan makes a yearly salary of $3.5 million.
In 2017, York said of hiring Shanahan:
This is a very exciting day for the San Francisco 49ers and our fans. 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.
Bonuses for coaches are laid out in their individual contracts. In 2011, Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin received a sweet $500K bonus after winning the Super Bowl.
Shanahan Signed A 6-Year $21 Million Contract With the 49ers In 2017
GettyKyle Shanahan
Prior to taking on his first head coaching position with the 49ers, Shanahan spent his first two seasons (2004-05 and 2005-06) working in the NFL as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive quality control coach. Kyle moved on to the Houston Texans for the following two seasons as the wide receivers coach before becoming their quarterbacks’ coach. Kyle was then promoted to Houston’s offensive coordinator, a job he kept for two seasons before being hired in the same role by his father for the Washington Redskins.
After Washington fired his father, Kyle took the position of offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns for a season, then resigned to take the same position with the Atlanta Falcons. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons when the team faced off against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017. The Falcons somehow squandered a 25 point lead and then lost the game in overtime after allowing Brady and the Patriots to stomp all over them in the second half.
Shanahan Is Due For A Contract Extension Whether Or Not The 49ers Win The Super Bowl
Kyle Shanahan
It’s impressive what Shanahan has done with the 49ers since he took on the role of head coach. He took one of the weakest rosters in the NFL and turned them into Super Bowl competitors, therefore it’s likely York re-ups his contract in order for Shanahan to stick around. The same goes for Lynch.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport said it’s a no-brainer for York secure both contracts. “This duo has helped lead this team back from the abyss,” Rappaport said. “Everyone thought Jed York was crazy to give these two guys six-year deals. Now, they are in the Super Bowl. They have clearly outsized those deals. I am told they are going to work to an extension this offseason.”
READ NEXT: Rob Lowe’s Neutral ‘NFL’ Hat at 49ers Playoff Game Goes Viral