For much of the season, some have asked why 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t getting more traction for coach of the year. He now is.
Although Patriots coach Mike Vrabel remains the clear betting favorite at -140, Shanahan has moved to +180.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is next on the list, at +700. He’s followed by Jaguars coach Liam Coen at +1200. Bears coach Ben Johnson and Broncos coach Sean Payton are +4000.
Shanahan has the 49ers on the brink of the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Beat Seattle on Saturday night, and the 49ers will get the conference’s only bye week, with two games to go in order to earn a spot in Super Bowl LX — to be played in their home stadium.
The 49ers are one win away from No. 1 despite a rash of injuries that has robbed the roster of some of its best players. Defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a torn ACL in Week 3. Linebacker Fred Warner sustained a dislocated ankle in Week 6. Tight end George Kittle has missed six games with hamstring and ankle injuries. Quarterback Brock Purdy has played in only eight of 16 games, due to turf toe.
And yet the 49ers are 12-4, with one more win to go to finish with the best record in the NFC.
The ballots will be cast next week, after the dust settles on the regular season. If the 49ers finish with the top seed in the NFC and the Patriots don’t land at No. 1 in the AFC, that’ll be a factor in the voting.
The problem for Shanahan is that the award generally goes to the coach whose team most exceeded low expectations at the outset of the season. The 49ers were the preseason betting favorites to win the division. But the road was rocky, and Shanahan has led the team through it.
That should count for something when determining the coach of the year award.
