Harbaugh led his Ravens to the NFL's best regular-season record of 14-2. The improvement over the previous year is not as dramatic as the one by the Bay Area team. Baltimore was 10-6 in 2018 and won the AFC North.
Shanahan led an impressive turnaround from a four-win season last year to a 2019 squad that earned 13 regular-season wins, the team's first playoff appearance in six years, and a trip to Super Bowl LIV.
Shanahan won just 10 games in his first two seasons as a head coach. Now, he has his 49ers competing for the franchise's sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Ravens were eliminated from the playoffs in their first game — a Divisional Round matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
"Kyle should get it," Harbaugh said while entering the NFL Honors award show on Saturday. "He deserves it. He's in the Super Bowl. He's done an amazing job there. He's a great coach. "I've known him a long time interviewed him a few years back."
Shanahan owns an all-time coaching record of 25-25, including the two playoffs victories, which ranks fourth all-time by a 49ers head coach in his first three seasons with the team. Only George Seifert (42), Jim Harbaugh (41), and Steve Mariucci (31) had more.
This week, the 49ers coach reflected on his first win with the team back in 2017. The team was 0-9 headed into that November 12, 2017, matchup against the New York Giants, but celebrated as if it had just won the Super Bowl.
"We were pumped," Shanahan said. "Our players, we were fighting every week, all of our guys. It wasn't just me. It was everybody. We had a lot of guys, it was their first year in the league; a lot of guys who hadn't played much, and we put a lot into every week, and we came up short a ton. We won that game, and it felt huge."
Now, the 49ers are actually in the Super Bowl.
Shanahan and his father, Mike, become in the first father-son duo to reach the Super Bowl as head coaches. Mike Shanahan led the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl in 1997 and 1998.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers' De'Zhaun Stribling named Offensive Rookie of the Year sleeper
The San Francisco 49ers used their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—No. 33 overall—on wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, an intriguing playmaker out of Ole Miss who could quickly earn a role in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. Of course, Stribling will have to climb the... -
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan recovering from injuries after car accident
San Francisco 49ers veterans are reporting to training camp on Saturday, with the team's first practice scheduled for Sunday. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan will have a limited role at the start of camp as he recovers from injuries sustained in a recent car accident. The... -
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's accident draws heartfelt response from Rams' Sean McVay
News of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's injuries following a car accident has sent shockwaves throughout the NFL. Fortunately, none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, although Shanahan will have a limited role as the 49ers open training camp this... -
49ers' John Lynch details Kyle Shanahan recovery plan after car accident
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch stepped up to the podium alone on Saturday to address the media as training camp opened. Typically, he would be joined by head coach Kyle Shanahan. However, shortly before the press conference, the team announced that Shanahan was...