San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan fell short in the voting for the AP NFL Coach of the Year award for the 2025 season. The honor instead went to New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The announcement was made during NFL Honors at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, ahead of Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Vrabel received 19 first-place votes, totaling 302 points. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen finished second with 16 first-place votes and 239 points.

Shanahan reportedly garnered just six first-place votes and 140 total points, placing fifth in the final voting results—lower than many expected following an impressive 2025 campaign with the 49ers.

AP NFL Coach of the Year:
1. Mike Vrabel 302 points, 19 first-place votes
2. Liam Coen 239 16
3. Mike Macdonald 191 8
4. Ben Johnson 145 1
5. Kyle Shanahan 140 6

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 6, 2026

Despite significant adversity throughout the season, including a wave of injuries that depleted the roster, Shanahan guided San Francisco to a 12-win season and a playoff berth. The 49ers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round.

“I think Kyle deserves to win Coach of the Year,” 49ers owner Jed York said this week. “I think that’s a no-brainer. We had so many things come up that we were able to overcome, and I think [that is] a testament to Kyle.”

Star running back Christian McCaffrey, who earned AP Comeback Player of the Year honors, echoed that sentiment.

“Kyle’s the Coach of the Year in my book,” McCaffrey said. “I think, when you look at all of the adversity that we had to go through and still to get to where we did, that’s a testament to the staff, the players that Jed and [GM] John [Lynch] and Kyle have brought into the building.”

Now entering his 10th season as the 49ers’ head coach after being hired in 2017, Shanahan has guided San Francisco to the playoffs five times, reaching the NFC Championship Game four times and the Super Bowl twice.