SANTA CLARA – The San Francisco 49ers officially announced the hiring of their new head football coach, Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan, 37, released a statement in response to obtaining his new gig.
“It is truly an honor to be named head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, one of the marquee franchises in all of sports,” said 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan. “I must thank Jed and the York family for entrusting me with this great privilege and tremendous opportunity.”
Shanahan has 13 seasons of coaching experience at the NFL level, including the past nine as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2015-16), Cleveland Browns (2014), Washington Redskins (2010-13) and Houston Texans (2008-09). In six of his nine seasons as an offensive coordinator (2008-09, 2012-13 and 2015-16), Shanahan has guided an offense that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in yards gained.
New general manager John Lynch also weighed in on the unsurprising new hire.
“The San Francisco 49ers are very fortunate to be able to bring in a coach of the caliber of Kyle Shanahan,” said 49ers General Manager John Lynch. “As an offensive mind, I think he stands alone in the National Football League, as evidenced by the explosive and record-setting offense in Atlanta. Though he grew up around coaching, what has most impressed me about Kyle is that he’s become his own man in the profession. Our philosophies on football and our visions for leading the 49ers back to being a championship team align in every way. I am thrilled to have Kyle Shanahan on board.”
The new coach had a couple of promises for fans as well.
“I am very excited to dedicate myself to the process that lies ahead. The first step in that process is identifying talented individuals who love the game of football as much as John and I do – coaches, players and staff. We are looking for individuals who work hard and are dedicated to doing things the right way, always in the best interest of the team. Most importantly, we want to give our fans a team they can be proud of on and off the field.”
