49ers’ Kyle Shanahan jokingly blames bad luck vs. Cardinals on son, not switch from red hat

The San Francisco 49ers being able to convert third downs wasn't the only thing noticeably absent from Sunday's loss against the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Kyle Shanhan's red hat from last season, dubbed by fans as the "Shanahat" was also nowhere to be seen.

The headwear had been a good luck charm during the 49ers' incredible run that ended just short of a championship. Shanahan had wanted to ditch the red hat but his wife would not allow it.

Shanahan joined KNBR on Thursday and was asked if he feels that making the switch in headwear contributed to the 49ers' bad luck in the season-opener.

"No, I definitely didn't," Shanahan responded with a laugh during the Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "I didn't think about my hat. I had a feeling someone was going to blame it on the hat. My wife didn't, which is where it starts, so that was good."

Shanahan joked that he actually places the blame for the change in luck elsewhere.

"I actually blame my son a little bit more, just messing with him," the coach explained. "He always gives me good-luck charms. He gave me one last year at the first game of the year, like a mini little skateboard and a little army soldier, so I always kept it in my pocket last year. And we went 8-0 with it so I just kept it going.

"This year, he brought me a pen from the Marriott that he got that morning, and tried to act like this was the new good-luck charm, and I for sure knew that he forgot it, and just tried to play it off with a pen that he saw. And I was kind of annoyed because if we win this game, I'm not carrying a pen in my pocket all year.

"So, he's going to try harder this week and get me lucky charm. I hope he doesn't just wing it and give it to me, and puts some thought into it."

You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.