Kyle Shanahan Reflects on his Relationship with his Father and Super Bowl Losses.

By Drake Skelly, WEBN Correspondent

San Franciso 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is preparing for his third Super Bowl appearance, but growing up with an NFL coach as your father means the preparations start much earlier than most. 

“I was always in my dad’s ear every second annoying the heck out of my sister and my mom” Shanhan said about growing up with former NFL Head Coach Mike Shanahan. “I think I’ve actually kinda been working at this my whole life.” 

Shanahan hasn’t been able to find success in the Super Bowl. During the 2016 season, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in the infamous loss to the New England Patriots in which the Falcons blew a 25-point lead. Shanahan returned during the 2019 season but lost to the Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. 

“Anytime you get that close and you lose at the last one, that’s definitely the hardest,” Shanahan said, reflecting on his Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in 2019. “All football games are hard to lose. Each week, you put so much into them.” 

Key players like Mahomes and Travis Kelce return from the 2019 Chiefs squad. Still, Shanahan will walk into Allegiant Stadium on Sunday with an almost entirely new starting lineup with only 6 current starters from the 2019 season. 

Key trade acquisitions like Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams and breakout player from 2022 may be what Shanahan needs to get over the hump to become a Super Bowl winner like his father.