49ers news: Kyle Shanahan signed through 2025, per ESPN

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t be going anywhere for a long time, according to a report from ESPN.

Earlier on Monday, a FanSided ranking listed San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan at No. 16 heading into the 2020 season.

Well, the Niners clearly don’t feel that way.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, San Francisco is giving the fourth-year head coach a new six-year deal, which will erase the remaining three years he had on his original contract signed back in 2017 and replace it with one that’ll expire at the end of 2025.

Needless to say, Shanahan won’t be leaving anytime soon.

It’s not hard to see why the 49ers wanted to go this route. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were given a very tough task when they joined the franchise three seasons ago: turn what was previously a two-win squad into a perennial contender. Both Shanahan and Lynch were responsible for turning over roughly 70 percent of the 2016 roster, which culminated in a six-win campaign that year, followed by a four-win effort in 2018.

Yet that was before the Niners’ 13-3 finish and Super Bowl appearance last season, which certainly influenced the franchise’s decision to retain Shanahan’s services.

Also, according to the report, Shanahan will be one of the league’s five highest-paid head coaches.

Shanahan’s innovative and ingenious offense ranked No. 2 in scoring last season, and his ground game also finished second in the league behind the Baltimore Ravens.

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers set up for long-term continuity

Now with the Niners’ Super Bowl window wide open, the franchise is aiming to ensure the team stays a contender for many years to come. For the better part of the century, San Francisco has dealt with a serious amount of head coaching turnover, including the quick rise and shocking fall of former head coach Jim Harbaugh and back-to-back one-and-done years under former coaches Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly before 2017.

Shanahan has earned plenty of respect within the locker room, too, and the leaks and reports of discontent from players have long since disappeared.

It’s highly likely the 49ers recognized that when coming up with Shanahan’s new contract.

Of course, Shanahan will have to overcome what happened in the second half of the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last February, of which the head coach bears some blame. Yet there are few who would legitimately argue the 49ers could have even reached the championship game without Shanahan’s leadership and tutelage.

For that, it makes all the sense in the world for the Niners to want to keep the 40-year-old head coach around for a long time.

And for those fans hoping to see more of Shanahan and his now-famous “Shanahat,” they won’t be let down anytime soon.