Kyle Shanahan coaching tree: 49ers head coach has budding branches, following in dad's footsteps Joe Rivera 3 min read (Getty Images) The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The Green Bay coach is also Coming into this past season, the Shanahan/McVay and Reid coaching trees were tied with six head coaches that held jobs in the NFL. Shanahan His players have no choice but to shut up and get in line simply because Belichicks track record speaks for itself. ago. The coaching tree has combined for two championships, most recently in 2021 by the Los Angeles Rams, led by Sean McVay. Throughout the 21st Century, the NFLs most popular coaching trees came from either Bill Belichick or Andy Reid. Gruden was the coach that first allowed him to become a coordinator. One of the hallmarks of a great coach is their tree. Ho ho ho, folks! With all that said, here is our top 10 list of the best coaching trees in NFL history. Re: Old article on the coaching tree of Mike Shanahan -link. Old article on the coaching tree of Mike Shanahan -link. [Schefter] - Former Monday Night Football analyst Brian Griese is leaving ESPN to become the Quarterbacks Coach for the 49ers, sources tell Seth Wickersham and me. How would I do this though? Three were courtesy of Bill Walsh of course, but Weeb Ewbank, who was a head coach for 12 years before the first Super Bowl managed to win one as well during the 1969 season as the head coach of the New York Jets. Mike ShanahanMike Shanahancoaching tree Since some of the coaches on these trees coached before the Super Bowl era, I had to only count seasons in which they coached in the Super Bowl era into consideration for that stat, obviously. The Broncos missed the playoffs each of the next three seasons, causing Shanahan to be fired at the end of the 2008 season. I do think that if McVay wants to return to key offensive concepts that he learned he might try to return to people he knows who can teach that system. Gruden was the coach that first allowed him to become a coordinator. 10) Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M Head Coach WebShanahan's success with the 49ers earned him a head coaching spot once more, this time back in Denver with the Broncos beginning in 1995. Following Staffords sneak attempt on first down, Kupp put the finishing touches on his Super Bowl masterpiece. Much like Dungy was carried by Mike Tomlin, Holmgrens tree is carried by Andy Reid. Because at the end of the day, Belichick has just a single postseason victory (1994 Cleveland Browns) to his name without Tom Brady as his quarterback. Unfortunately, many of his children could start experiencing darker days as their coaching careers progress. In year two under McVay, the Rams high powered offense, at nearly 33 points per game in 2018, earned a trip to the Super Bowl, where they eventually lost late to the Patriots. It starts with Gary Kubiak, a longtime colleague of Mike Shanahan, giving Kyle Shanahan his first job as an NFL position coach in 2006. Mike Shanahan and his coaching pedigree are well respected in the NFL and his impact on the game still shows today. Shanahan's coaching tree doesn't just consist of today's creative offensive minds. When the going got tough, Landrys children, more often than not, crumbled under the pressure. The team finished 12-2 that season and it remains the only football championship in the schools history. During this time, Gary Kubiak (Remember him? coaching He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reach Super Bowl LI.Shanahan became ESPNs bold moves for the 49ers this offseason: Blow the budget on the secondary, The Niners will need to create some cap space, The 49ers understand the need for spinal support in 2023 draft. coaching trees Ive looked at each trees regular season win percentage, postseason appearances, postseason win percentage, conference championship totals, and Super Bowl wins, and am using those for my credentials to determine the order of this list. Postseason Record: 39-37 (.513 seventh). Mike Shanahan The Shanahan influence/coaching tree is dominating the NFL divisional round if you take a close look. Thats just how it is. NFL head coaches under whom Mike Shanahan has served: Barry Switzer, University of Oklahoma (1975) Dan Reeves, Denver Broncos (19841987, 1991) George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers (19921994) Assistant coaches under Mike Shanahan who became NFL head coaches: He knew what he was inheriting. Shanahan TreeShanahan Kyles got his own tree starting with Mike McDaniel in Miami, Michaels noted. Old article on the coaching tree of Mike Shanahan -link. WebWhat makes this coaching tree successful? Neither ever earned a conference championship. Shanahan In Shanahans final year at Florida, 1983, the team enjoyed the most success in his time in Gainesville. Outside of Belichick, there isnt a single branch of this coaching tree in the NFL today that has won a playoff game. Why people should stop sharing graphic of former WFT coaches The current Kyle Shanahan contract makes the San Francisco 49ers head coach the 7th highest-paid head coach in the NFL this season, tied with Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.The 49ers headman still has three years left on the current Kyle Shanahan contract, but if he makes the Super Bowl, the team might rip up the current We may earn a commission from links on this page. 31) immediately close on the deep crosser. The next head coach of the Vikings linked up with McVay for the first time before the 2020 season. Thats what gave the edge to Dungy. He began his football career as quarterback in a wishbone offense in high school. Apologies for the whiners site. Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach. Griese and Kyle Shanahan have known each other for years; Griese played QB in Tampa when Shanahan was on the Bucs coaching staff. Top 10 Highest-Paid NFL Head Coaches The team finished ranked number 19 in the coaches poll his first year with the team. The only area where Landrys tree was in the upper half of coaches on this list was conference championships, but based on how many seasons Landrys children coached, they were still in the bottom half in seasons per conference championship (11.83). While there were a few sour apples on Browns tree, most of the bad ones were gone fairly early. In 1978, behind one of the best running backs in D-II, Eastern Illinois made it to the National Championship game in Longview, Texas, where it met Delaware and emerged victorious with a 10-9 win. It was the first time in college football history that a team went winless and then earned a bowl bid the following season. Shanahan set the record, since broken, in the 1969 season, a year before he graduated. The Packers Shanahan became a coaching factory. During his entire head coaching career, his three teams combined for a record of 177-143-0 across twenty seasons including going 8-6-0 in the playoffs. Success? The second seed in the NFC also has a Mike Shanahan tree member or more realistically a Shanahan branch since Kyle brought this coach with him to Washington from Houston with Matt LaFleur. Eastern Illinois had finished the 1977 season 1-10. The only real sore spot on the tree is Bruce Coslet, who managed to coach for nine years despite never managing better than a .500 record and reaching the playoffs only once. In his five seasons with the Rams, McVay has amassed a 55-26 record while only missing the playoffs once (2019.). Coming into this past season, the Shanahan/McVay and Reid coaching trees were tied with six head coaches that held jobs in the NFL. Searles is a born and raised Minnesotan who currently resides in Denver. The corner post can be run with a tight end or a wide receiver. Davis then won the NFL MVP award. What set the Shanahan lineage of coaches apart was the addition of the wide/outside-zone running scheme. But hes able to get up and sprint to the end zone for the touchdown. After that, Shanahan accepted the offensive coordinator position with the San Francisco 49ers. In his second season, McVay led the Rams to the Super Bowl, where they fell short to the Patriots, 13-3. Rob Chudzinski also fell victim to the dumpster fire that was the 2010 Cleveland Browns, but each of these stains on Schottenheimers tree didnt last very long. Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest head coach of all time, and his coaching tree has produced a myriad of stinkers like Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels (solid OC, though), Bill OBrien (turned sour real quick), and Nick Saban (remember, this is considering their accomplishments as an NFL head coach). pic.twitter.com/vwWRUsMekn, Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 14, 2022. The coaches that run the Shanahan scheme all use zone runs and play action passes that look identical to their run plays. First, to understand the lineage, we need a brief primer from where it all began. Griese and Kyle Shanahan have known each other for years; Griese played QB in Tampa when Shanahan was on the Bucs coaching staff. This will be the second post-season appearance for the 49ers since Shanahan took over in 2017, as he's piled up a 39-42 head coaching record with the 49ers. After a year to forget in Minnesota, Shanahan took the experience in stride and landed a job in the Southeastern Conference with the University of Florida Gators. For starters, this opens up a lot of room for their quick backs to rip off massive runs. As I said, the tree is absolutely carried by Reid, who leads all Holmgren disciples in wins, win percentage, postseason appearances, postseason win percentage, and conference championships. The next head coach of the Vikings linked up with McVay for the first time before the 2020 season. Mike Shanahan - Coaching Tree What set the Shanahan lineage of coaches apart was the addition of the wide/outside-zone running scheme. In that 2016 season, eventually culminating in a Super Bowl letdown, the Falcons averaged 33.8 points per game, finished 13-3, and vaulted Shanahan into the national conversation as the most coveted future head coach heading into 2017. Kyle Shanahan has spawned a number of talented HCs Kyle Shanahan comes from an illustrious coaching family tree, largely thanks to his legendary father, Mike Shannan. coach All three of these guys went on to become head coaches a few years down the line, and all three will be coaching this weekend in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. For starters, Im only counting peoples records as head coaches. Mike Shanahan The lack of longevity is what keeps them out of the top two though. The San Francisco 49ers are led by Kyle Shanahan, who, at one point, was just a twinkle in Mike Shanahans eye. The Shanahan influence/coaching tree is dominating the NFL divisional round if you take a close look. Before that, the Texans staff of the late 2000s birthed many of the coaches currently serving as head coaches or in bigger non-head coaching roles. In week 12 of 2019, the 49ers ran a corner post versus Green Bay for a long touchdown pass to George Kittle. Shanahan returned to Denver the following season, 1990, as quarterbacks coach. The team improved, finishing 7-9 with a third place finish in the AFC West. The Gators went 0-10-1 the year before Shanahan was hired, the worst in school history. Despite having former assistants that landed head coaching jobs such as Al Groh, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Nick Saban, Jim Schwartz, Matt Patricia, Bill OBrien, Joe Judge, and Brian Flores, these coaches combined to win a whopping two playoff games courtesy of OBrien in Houston. After nearly ten years in the college ranks, Shanahan entered the NFL with the Denver Broncos. The Green Bay coach is also coach Mike Shanahan was born in Oak Hill, Illinois on August 24, 1952 to a homemaker and an electrician. Ranking the 4 likely veteran quarterback options for the Jets in 2023 In 2019, Kubiak took over as an offensive consultant with the Vikings and became the offensive coordinator in 2020 with Kevin Stefanskis departure to the Cleveland Browns (yet another team implementing the same scheme). Or, in the case of Belichick, cross your fingers and hope that you land the best quarterback of all-time in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft to singlehandedly save your NFL head coaching career. He accepted the position of wide receivers coach in 1984. It's safe to say that those coaches under Mike Shanahan's tutelage ended up having success early on in their head-coaching careers. For example, one of the stats I use in this list is Seasons per Super Bowl (S/SB how many seasons between Super Bowls for each tree as a collective whole). Its the best tree the NFL has ever seen, perhaps the greatest the league will ever see. Yes, definitely. In 2017, the 49ers and Rams hired Kyle Shanahan and McVay, respectively, as head coaches. Six have records over .500. After sitting out one season, Shanahan came back with the Washington Redskins as the teams head coach and vice president of football operations. Once Mike Shanahan retired following the 2013 season, the Redskins elected to go with Jay Gruden as their next head coach. Tomlin is undoubtedly the shining star atop the tree, but there are some other solid decorative pieces between Lovie Smith, Jim Caldwell, and even Frank Reich. While Herm Edwards did bring this group down a bit with only 54 wins across eight seasons, it wasnt enough to leave Dungy off the list entirely. 20) starts to run with the corner stem, Kittle abruptly changes direction and cuts to the post and completely turns King around and then sprints to a 61-yard touchdown. Shanahan would spend a total of four seasons in Three of his assistants from his pre-Washington days Art Shell, Gary Kubiak and Anthony Lynn went on to be NFL head coaches. Live and die by Bill Belichick. During his career he was a head coach for twenty seasons, first with the Los Angeles Raiders. Gibbs notes in the video above that the offensive linemen from the tight end to the center must get lateral steps toward the sideline, get their head to the outside shoulder of the defender, and lock the defender up with their inside arm and try like hell to keep the defender from spilling back inside. This tree is carried by Chuck Noll and George Allen. Shanahan coaching tree Landrys tree has also amassed the most seasons coached with only one Super Bowl, and since Super Bowls are the ultimate goal for a head coach, its hard to look past that low figure. Belichick hasnt had the best luck when it comes to assistants turning into great head coaches, but some coaches land hit after hit after hit in the coordinator department. If he gets fired, who are the top candidates to take his place? One of the hallmarks of a great coach is their tree. The two clips above in the video are two staple running plays in the Shanahan lineage: the wide zone toss strong, and the wide zone toss weak. I do think that if McVay wants to return to key offensive concepts that he learned he might try to return to people he knows who can teach that system. LaFleur , Taylor, McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan have all assembled excellent coaching staffs that coaching tree The Mike Shanahan era in Washington lasted four seasons and yielded three 10-loss campaigns, zero playoff victoriesand a coaching staff now taking the NFL by storm. He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reach Super Bowl LI.Shanahan became The offense implemented by Shanahan and others in the tree grew out of the West Coast Offense of Bill Walsh in the 1980s and 1990s. McDaniel worked under Shanahan, McVay, and Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur during their time together in Washington from 2011-13. All have some sort of stem to the Mike Shanahan coaching tree and, to an extent, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. LaFleur , Taylor, McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan have all assembled excellent coaching staffs that But schemes never stay the same, and the best coaches learn and adapt and implement new wrinkles all the time. Building on the foundation of the run game, the play action pass off of outside zone is the other knockout punch this offense is capable of delivering and they can either naked boot the quarterback out to the backside or run a more traditional drop back play action. Unlike LeFleur and McVay, it took Shanahan some time to find some success in his head-coaching career. Shanahans three seasons as the 49ers offensive coordinator were very successful. After two successful seasons together at Northern Arizona, their season in Minnesota was a disappointment, as the team limped to a 4-6-1 record and sixth in the Big Ten conference. Upon graduation from Eastern Illinois, he was an offensive assistant for the University of Oklahoma football team in 1975. This tree has some very high highs and some very low lows, but the former drastically outweighs the latter. After hauling in three catches for 38 yards following the fourth-down conversion to put the Rams in scoring position, Kupp remained the primary target. Six years in to Kyle Shanahans tenure, his coaching tree is already legion. So lets take a look at how the current NFL head coaches of the Shanahan/McVay tree stack up against other current head coaches from the Reid and Belichick trees. He had an impact on defensive coaches, too. NFL head coaches under whom Mike Shanahan has served: Barry Switzer, University of Oklahoma (1975) Dan Reeves, Denver Broncos (19841987, 1991) George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers (19921994) Assistant coaches under Mike Shanahan who became NFL head coaches: Throughout the 21st Century, the NFLs most popular coaching trees came from either Bill Belichick or Andy Reid. ago. Hue Jackson orchestrated the second-ever 0-16 season in NFL history. The Washington Commanders took Cousins in the []. Why people should stop sharing graphic of former WFT coaches With the Bengals keying on All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp from the moment Beckham was lost for the game, the Rams decided that enough was enough. Mike Shanahan For starters, this opens up a lot of room for their quick backs to rip off massive runs. Furthermore, I will not be including coaches that came in the second generation of coaching trees. Before he was a head coach, Shanahan served as an assistant coach for Jon Gruden, Gary Kubiak, Kubiak had worked most of career, both playing and coaching, with Shanahans father Mike during his time with the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan Great coach. The New York Giants are headed towards their second straight losing season and third straight season without making the playoffs, putting head coach Tom Coughlin firmly on the hot seat. WebHis coaching tree has combined for a record of 329-262-0 in the regular season and 20-14 in the playoffs during their thirty-seven seasons as head coach after serving on his coaching staffs. LaFleur found himself at Notre Dame as the quarterbacks coach, but his brother Mike would take an offensive assistant job with Shanahan in Cleveland.
