This week in Las Vegas, Shanahan was questioned about whether another defeat would support the theory that he was unable to win “the big one.”
Head coach of the San Francisco 49ers Kyle Shanahan isn’t concerned about his image as he gets ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The son of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, Shanahan had experienced this before, having lost 31–20 to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV four years prior.
The 44-year-old watched his 49ers lose in the NFC Championship game the previous two seasons.
Despite having a great overall record in his seven seasons as head coach, Shanahan was questioned this week in Las Vegas over if another setback would support the notion that he was incapable of winning “the big one.”
Shanahan remarked, “I would handle that the same as if we win.”
"You want to do your career with him– he's that kind of guy."
Brock Purdy on his relationship with Brandon Aiyuk. pic.twitter.com/kVOUd71r0C
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“I would rejoice with my family and team and then carry on with the remaining aspects of my life, which include working, coaching, and being a father and son. A narrative is a tale, no matter how wonderful or horrible. You prepare for these games because you want to avoid having regrets. You want to take all the actions that make sense for the team and me.
“When you do that, no matter how hard something is or how good something is, you keep perspective. If you want your perspective to be someone else’s narrative, good luck.”
Super Bowl Football
Since the 49ers hired him as head coach for the first time in 2017, Shanahan’s record as their head coach is 72-54 overall. However, he conceded that now a successful season will only be defined by winning the Super Bowl.
“That’s the crux of the matter for all NFL players,” he stated.
“Maybe the first year you surpass expectations—that’s the only time if you don’t make the playoffs you don’t feel like you’ve completely failed.” That’s the only season you’re content without a Super Bowl.
Apart from that, nobody is satisfied in this league if you don’t make it to the playoffs. Nobody is thrilled if you advance to the playoffs but lose your final game. You’re not cool if you make it to the Super Bowl and lose.
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After the season, just one team is content. It’s the same whether it’s a playoff game or the Super Bowl. It hurts to come that close when you’re aiming for the big one because it’s so difficult to reach. It’s a blessing that our team has been able to visit twice. The previous one was quite difficult.
“We had all the chances, but we missed the plays while they did. I predict that this weekend’s game will be quite close. I think we have a good chance, but we’ll see how it turns out.
