Kyle Shanahan Named 49ers HC: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons' top-scoring offense in 2016, will get his first job as a head coach with the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers announced the hiring Monday. The contract is for six years, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

"This is a very exciting day for the San Francisco 49ers and our fans," 49ers CEO Jed York said, per the team's announcement. "Throughout this process, we learned many things about Kyle that convinced us he is the perfect coach to lead this team. Over the years, he has proven to be one of the brightest minds in the game of football and his recent success speaks for itself."

Shanahan has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL since 2008, working with the Houston Texans, Washington and Cleveland Browns before joining the Falcons for the previous two years. 

After a lackluster start to his tenure in Atlanta last year, when the Falcons finished 21st in points scored, Shanahan led the offense to a franchise-record 540 points in 2016. The team reached the Super Bowl behind that offense but lost to the New England Patriots.

49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith was quick to show his approval of the announcement on Twitter: 

"

 https://t.co/3ox3nHjB6q

— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) February 7, 2017"

In October, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com noted the ways in which Shanahan had changed his approach:

"

As such, Shanahan's system has evolved—and in regards to the idea of nepotism, it never really was a mirror image of his dad's system. He took most of a complex passing game, at least early on, from his time with Jon Gruden in Tampa, which he then melded with famed line coach Alex Gibbs's run game in Houston.

It's grown since, as Shanahan adjusted it for different personnel.

In Atlanta it's meant an early focus on the short, precision game that [Matt] Ryan excels with, and growing options around [Julio] Jones, which helped set the stage for the sixth-year star's intergalactic day against Carolina on Sunday.

"

For the record, Jones' "intergalactic day" included 12 receptions for 300 yards in a 48-33 win over the Carolina Panthers. 

As a result of the Falcons' success, Shanahan became one of the hottest head coaching candidates. His quarterback, Ryan, agreed with that perception in a December interview with 680 The Fan.

"I think whenever he does get an opportunity, he'll do a great job," Ryan said (h/t D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). "I hope it's not for a while because we've got a good thing going on. Whenever he gets his opportunity, he'll do a great job.”

Given how impressive the Falcons offense was throughout 2016, it seemed like it'd be only a matter of time before another team hired Shanahan as its head coach.

The 49ers have been a sinking ship for years, finally hitting rock bottom in 2016 with a 2-14 record that led to the dismissal of head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke. 

With San Francisco's ownership hitting the reset button, Shanahan was a natural fit for the franchise as a first-time head coach looking to prove himself.

Despite their struggles on the field, the 49ers have all the necessary tools to turn things around quickly. They have $80.9 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.com, and the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft. 

The San Francisco roster is a mess, with quarterback Colin Kaepernick reportedly set to opt out of his contract, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, and backup Blaine Gabbert on the verge of unrestricted free agency. 

Dieter Kurtenbach of FoxSports.com also mentioned another issue York has to address if he wants the 49ers to return to the NFL's elite:

"Some accountability for turning one of the NFL's proudest franchises into an unstable, politics-ridden laughingstock would have satisfied more than a few 49ers fans.

"Admitting that he was the common denominator in the 49ers' descent to the bottom and that he's learned from the experience would have been satisfying."

York certainly isn't going to step away, but San Francisco has had four head coaches since 2014, including Jim Harbaugh, who led the franchise to three straight playoff appearances from 2011-13 after it had missed the playoffs in the previous eight seasons. 

Shanahan is one of the league's best offensive minds.

At just 37 years old, he has cultivated an identity plenty of coaches strive to achieve. He's been stuck in the shadow of being Mike Shanahan's son basically from the time he arrived in the NFL during the 2004 season.

Now, Shanahan will have his own spotlight as he tries to separate himself from his father's legacy. It will be a difficult task, though it's one he seems well prepared for.