Kyle Shanahan is set to enter his 10th season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, tying him with Bill Walsh for the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history.

"I'm good coaching, and I love coaching," Shanahan said in March. "Even though I look like I've aged 10 years, because I physically have aged 10 years—but I still feel good. My family still loves it. I think they would kill me if I was home a lot more. So, we've got a good balance, and I love being with the Niners."


There is no indication the 49ers would consider moving on from Shanahan, who—alongside general manager John Lynch—has helped establish stability and sustained success in Santa Clara. In fact, 49ers owner Jed York has repeatedly publicly expressed his desire for Shanahan to remain with the franchise long-term.

Under Shanahan's leadership, the 49ers have reached four NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls, routinely being named among the NFL's top contenders.

However, that hasn't stopped SB Nation senior writer James Dator from including Shanahan on his list of NFL coaches on the hot seat in 2026—a viewpoint many around the league would likely dispute.

Dator compared the situation to former Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, who ultimately needed a change of scenery before finding Super Bowl success with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Shanahan was my personal coach of the year in 2025 for how he managed the team's myriad injuries and still put a competitive product on the field," Dator wrote. "If this team gets healthy and once again fails to make a run to the Super Bowl, then it's probably fair to start asking some questions. While Shanny has had big-time success with two NFC Championships (wins) and five playoff berths, he's also 0.550 in win percentage, and routinely leads a team picked to [win] it all, only to fall just short.


"This wouldn't be a case of Shanahan leaving because of poor performance, but rather an understanding that the status quo wasn't working for either side."

Last month, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, who played under Shanahan from 2018 to 2020, dismissed the idea that the 49ers coach could be on any hot seat if the team missed the playoffs in 2026.

"If Kyle Shanahan misses the playoffs this year, would he be on the hot seat? Absolutely not, absolutely not," Sherman said. "He wouldn't even be close. He'd be on an iceberg; he'd still be on an absolute iceberg. And if he somehow was on the hot seat, then there'd be 20 seats in the NFL getting hotter as his gets hotter, because if he ever got fired, so would they."

Sherman added that Shanahan's reputation across the league remains elite, suggesting at least 15 to 20 teams would immediately pursue him if he ever became available.

"There's a reason people think about him and hold his name in such high regard," Sherman said. "I know he hasn't had success in winning the Super Bowl. His team is always in the running. You know they're always going to be a factor."


For those dismissing the idea of a 49ers–Shanahan divorce, Dator noted that few would have expected long-tenured coaches like Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers or John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens—both Super Bowl winners—to part ways with their respective organizations this offseason.

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