Coach Kyle Shanahan is two seasons shy of matching legendary Bill Walsh (10 seasons) and one year away from matching Buck Shaw (nine seasons) as the longest-tenured coach in 49ers history.
And he made it clear on Sunday that’s exactly what he hopes and expects to happen.
“I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here,” Shanahan said following the 49ers’ 38-13 victory over the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
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“And my family feels just as strong — if not a lot stronger. You guys are going to have to kick me out of here, so there’s no way I’m making that decision.”
Shanahan’s future with the organization was a topic of conversation last week with the Chicago Bears in need of a new head coach.
The Bears fired former coach Matt Eberflus after their Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is serving as the interim head coach.
Some media members, most notably Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, suggested the Bears should approach the 49ers about acquiring Shanahan in a trade.
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General manager John Lynch labeled the speculation as “comical” during his weekly appearance on KNBR on Friday.
Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the NFL's top coaches and would certainly be an attractive option for a lot of teams around the league if he were to become available.
Under Shanahan, the 49ers have an 8-4 record in the postseason with four appearances in the NFC Championship Game and two Super Bowl appearances over the past five seasons.
The 49ers were 2-14 in 2016, the season before Shanahan and Lynch were hired. In their third season together, San Francisco won the NFC and advanced to the Super Bowl.
The 49ers’ victory over the Bears on Sunday moved Shanahan’s regular-season record to 70-58, which included nine consecutive losses to begin his tenure.
Shanahan signed a multi-year extension with the 49ers at the beginning of the 2023 season, which is believed to keep him under contract to the organization through 2027.