We knew it was happening, and it finally became official Monday: Kyle Shanahan is the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
Shanahan, who spent the last two seasons as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator, will team up with rookie general manager John Lynch to try and turn a once-proud franchise back into a Super Bowl contender.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, Shanahan’s Falcons tenure ended Sunday night at NRG Stadium in Houston when his team blew a 28-3 lead and lost 34-28 in overtime to the New England Patriots.
His playcalling in the second half of Super Bowl LI was suspect at best. He abandoned the run and allowed the Patriots defense to force stops and give the ball back to quarterback Tom Brady.
His job will be much harder in San Francisco than Atlanta. The 49ers have Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick on their quarterback depth chart. That’s several steps below reigning NFL MVP Matt Ryan.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
