San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has done a phenomenal job this season, guiding his team to a 12-4 record, winning nine consecutive games, winning the NFC West, and clinching a playoff spot despite losing two starting quarterbacks—Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Aside from what fans hope was a hiccup on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the defense has been dominant during the win streak, so defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans also deserves a lot of credit. But when it comes to Coach of the Year, Shanahan has to be in the conversation.
If Ian Rapoport had to take a guess, he would say the honor will go to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. However, he can definitely envision a case for Shanahan.
"But I don't know why it wouldn't be Kyle Shanahan," Rapoport said Monday morning on KNBR, speaking with Dieter Kurtenbach. "He's got a chance at the No. 1 seed with a backup quarterback to the backup quarterback. That's amazing. So that's real coaching.
"I think he's done an incredible job. They've obviously got some various issues that they've overcome, injuries issues and otherwise, and they continue to be great. He's got a great staff. That's all part of it. But I think he deserves as much consideration as anyone."
The 49ers look to close out the season with their 10th consecutive win and maybe earn the top seed in the NFC playoff picture should the Eagles lose their third straight game. Then, we'll see what Shanahan and the team can do in the postseason. They are currently slated to host the seventh seed in the Wild Card round.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rapoport below.