Kyle Shanahan isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The San Francisco 49ers have signed their head coach to a contract extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The new six-year contract replaces the three years remaining on Shanahan's current deal and will keep him with the team through the 2025 season.
"The new contract makes Shanahan one of the NFL's five highest-paid head coaches," reports Schefter. "But what made this deal unique is that it was hardly a protracted negotiation between 49ers owner Jed York and Shanahan; the two men sat down and quickly figured out what each meant to the other, committing to their second six-year contract in just over three years."
San Francisco is rewarding head coach Kyle Shanahan with a new six-year contract that replaces the three years he had remaining on his deal and ties him to the 49ers through the 2025 season, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 15, 2020
The new deal has reportedly been "hashed out" for nearly two months, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Talk about keeping things under wraps: Hearing that Kyle Shanahan's new deal was hashed out nearly two months ago. Shanahan does not have an agent, which might explain the lack o' leak. #49ers.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) June 15, 2020
Shanahan becomes the first 49ers coach to sign an extension since Steve Mariucci did the same in 1999.
The 49ers initially signed Shanahan, the former offensive coordinator of the Falcons, to a six-year contract on February 6, 2017, after Atlanta's Super Bowl LI loss to the New England Patriots. Shanahan lost his first nine games and won just 10 games in his first two seasons with San Francisco, but further solidified his status as a brilliant play-caller with a roster amid a massive rebuild.
With the roster revamp further along, Shanahan found success in 2019 as his 49ers went 13-3 during the regular season, won the NFC West, earned the best record in the NFC, and embarrassed opponents on the way to Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs. As was the case for Shanahan with Atlanta in 2017, his 49ers fell just short of a championship.
Could general manager John Lynch be next to receive a new deal? 49ers CEO Jed York said in January that he would love nothing more than to keep the head coach and general manager duo together and part of the organization's long-term future.
"I want those guys here for a long time," York told Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group. "If they want to do something, I'd be happy to do it."
York, Shanahan, and Lynch have shared a harmonious relationship with each other over the past three years.
"Those guys do have each other's back," York continued. "Not that it's been perfect, not that we've made every single right decision, but when the culture is right. When you have each other's back, it gives you a chance. You need some level of talent, which we have on this team, but if you don't have the culture, you have no chance."
Shanahan, 40, owns a career record of 25-26 as a head coach, including postseason play (23-25 regular-season record). His 25 wins are the fourth most (George Seifert — 42, Jim Harbaugh — 41, Steve Mariucci — 31) by a 49ers head coach in his first three seasons with the team, surpassing even the great Bill Walsh, who earned 24 wins over the same timeframe.
The 49ers ranked No. 4 in total offense last season and averaged 29.9 points per game. San Francisco's defense was ranked No. 2 in the NFL and was the best in the NFC.
