It’s one thing to have a very good NFL roster, as the San Francisco 49ers have boasted over the last few years, but having a strong culture is even more impressive.
The 49ers’ championship-caliber culture has been established by head coach Kyle Shanahan, who took over in 2017 at a time when the organization was floundering.
This photo of their leadership tree shows men such as DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, who have been a part of Shanahan’s staff, only to go on to become head coaches themselves.
The 49ers’ coaching and front office tree around the NFL is LENGTHY 😳
📸 @49ers, @NFL pic.twitter.com/l4M7NsuWd6
—The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) March 27, 2023
In NFL lore, the biggest coaching tree of all belongs to Bill Walsh, the late 49ers coach who guided them to their first three Super Bowl wins in the 1980s.
Shanahan spent two years as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator in 2008 and 2009 before being hired to serve in the same role on the Washington Redskins under his father, Mike Shanahan.
Elder Shanahan coached the Denver Broncos to back-to-back world titles in the late 1990s, and before that, he was the Niners’ offensive coordinator from 1992 to 1994 under head coach George Seifert.
Seifert, in turn, was Walsh’s defensive coordinator for several years before succeeding him in 1989.
San Francisco has one of the NFL’s best collections of talent, and it has gotten plenty out of it, as it boasted the league’s top defense in 2022.
That defense could become even better next season thanks to the addition of Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Once the 49ers get their quarterback situation sorted out, they could be on their way to their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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