All the talk was always about Bill Walsh’s coaching tree or being a Bill Parcells guy after those two coaches made their mark in the 1980s. Lately, it’s Andy Reid’s coaching tree or Bill Belichick’s influence throughout the league. Well, there’s another coach whose influence is being felt around the league, and his name is Kyle Shanahan. The Shanahan influence/coaching tree is dominating the NFL divisional round if you take a close look.
Let’s get rid of the obvious. Mike’s son Kyle has led the Niners to the top seed in the NFC and they should be favored to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. Kyle obvious learned directly under Mike and his rushing attack brings back memories of Shanahan’s Super Bowl Broncos. They coached together in Washington with Robert Griffin III. Kyle is a bit more creative on offense, but the foundation of his coaching game obviously came from his father.
The second seed in the NFC also has a Mike Shanahan tree member — or more realistically a Shanahan branch since Kyle brought this coach with him to Washington from Houston — with Matt LaFleur. The Green Bay coach is also considered a young, smart offensive mind. In reality, LaFleur has worked under two of the best offensive strategists in football as he also was on Sean McVay’s staff.
The last influence that Mike Shanahan has over the NFC divisional round may not be as obvious. It’s not another head coach or even an offensive coordinator, but this person deserves a ton of credit for his team’s success. Gary Kubiak is the assistant head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and also an advisor to the team’s offense. Many have credited him with the dominance of the Vikings running game. Dalvin Cook plays the biggest role, but it’s Kubiak’s concepts that create the gaping holes for the explosive running back. Kubiak coached with Mike Shanahan at the Niners and the Denver Broncos. It’s tough to argue he’s not a Shanahan guy.
So when the NFC divisional round goes down this weekend, Mike Shanahan should be mentioned. He’s the one with the biggest influence over three team’s offenses in the playoffs.