Skip to main content
Join Now

Troy Aikman names Kyle Shanahan as coach he would hire first if he were a GM

Meby: Nick Geddes6 hours agoNickGeddesNews

There are a lot of great coaches in the NFL. But one sticks out to Troy Aikman, the three-time Super Bowl champion and Monday Night Football announcer: Kyle Shanahan.

The San Francisco 49ers is on that shortlist of best coaches in the league. If Aikman were a general manager and could hire anyone, Shanahan would be his first call, he said on “Monday Night Countdown” ahead of the 49ers’ Week 16 road game against the Indianapolis Colts.

“He won’t get it because there’s other candidates that have had great years, but he’s certainly in the conversation for coach of the year. If I was a GM and could hire anybody, it would be Kyle Shanahan, and I’ve been saying that for a number of years,” Aikman said. “You watch his offense, you watch his defense — there’s an urgency and a purpose in everything they do and even in spite of the injuries that they’ve had, let’s look at the defensive side of the ball and what Robert Saleh has done.

“When you put on the film and watch them, they’re still playing to the 49er standard that we’re accustomed to seeing when Fred Warner and Nick Bosa were playing and that doesn’t happen. You can count on one hand the number of teams in this league that play with the urgency and the intensity that the 49ers do.”

Kyle Shanahan has 49ers in good position heading into Week 16 vs. Colts

Shanahan, 46, is in his ninth season as head coach of the 49ers. He is 80-66 overall and has led San Francisco to three NFC West titles and a pair of Super Bowl appearances (2019, 2023).

Shanahan has had his share of top-notch coaching jobs; 2025 might be his best to date. The 49ers have been one of, if not the most injured team in football this season. Among the players who have missed time are quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, tight end George Kittle, defensive end Nick Bosa, and linebacker Fred Warner. That list doesn’t include star wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who hasn’t played a snap this season.

The injuries have piled up and yet, the wins have kept coming. San Francisco enters Monday’s game 10-4, riding a four-game win streak. The 49ers have a clinched a playoff spot, returning to the postseason after a one-year absence. They still have a shot to win the division and secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They need to win out to do it.

Shanahan will certainly have the 49ers ready Monday night for a showdown against a desperate Colts team. Aikman will be on the call for ESPN alongside Joe Buck.