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49ers Kyle Shanahan wins NFC Coach of the Year award in Kansas City

By Peter Panacy

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Kyle Shanahan
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Kyle Shanahan /
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won a prestigious award on Saturday night, but the irony is he had to go to Kansas City in order to receive it.

Talk about an honor and somewhat cruel twist of fate for San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan took a brief respite from the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis to go receive a notable award, the 2019 NFC Coach of the Year honor, which was given to him by the Committee of 101, as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported on Sunday.

The only thing is Shanahan had to go to Kansas City to get it.

The irony, of course, is the committee is based in the same city represented by the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat Shanahan’s Niners in Super Bowl LIV last February. After holding a 10-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, the 49ers surrendered 21 unanswered points en route to the 31-20 loss.

“When they told me I won an award and they told me it was in Kansas City, I said there was no way I was going,” Shanahan said, via the Kansas City Star.

Yet Shanahan eventually went, putting aside whatever painful memories associated with losing the game in order to attend the black-tie event. And despite San Francisco earning the unfavorable accolade of being the second-best team in the NFL last season, Shanahan didn’t hesitate to point out the difficulties in simply making it to the Super Bowl.

“It’s a big deal, and it’s tough. It’s also a big deal to get to one,” Shanahan continued. “Not many people understand that. But I don’t try to make it more than it is. We lost the game. We didn’t move the chains on our last two possessions, and they did. When that happens against a good team like that you don’t win.”

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In a sense, Shanahan is correct. And it would be foolish to think the Niners’ 2019 campaign as anything less than a success.

After all, the 49ers were coming off a 4-12 season the year before, and many pundits and analysts thought last year would produce little better than a .500 season from San Francisco.

Instead, Shanahan’s Niners finished 13-3, secured both the NFC West crown and top seed within the conference. And before falling in heartbreaking fashion to the Chiefs, San Francisco throttled both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.

“I’m proud as heck as I can be of our season, of how much we competed, how hard we went,” Shanahan also added. “That’s all you can control.”

Now, Shanahan will be tasked with trying to get the Niners back to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. On the positive side, the 49ers don’t have a ton of holes on the roster and look to be a top contender for the foreseeable future. But history also doesn’t favor San Francisco winning the Super Bowl after last season’s loss. Over the previous decade, only one team, the 2018 New England Patriots, won a Super Bowl after losing the previous NFL championship game.

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Perhaps the Niners can buck that trend, which would be an even better consolation prize for Shanahan and Co., and it would likely surpass the head coach receiving the lofty accolade on Saturday.