Kyle Shanahan Follows In His Footsteps
By Editorial Staff
Mike Shanahan’s son, Kyle Shanahan, 28, has a good sense of humor. As we know, Mike was fired by Al Davis and the Raiders four games into his second coaching season, but Kyle said that he would consider a head coaching job with the Raiders should the opportunity arise. “Well, that might be fun. Then, I might be able to do something my father couldn’t–get along with Al.”
Kyle is the youngest offensive coordinator in the league today. As a coach with the Houston Texans, and a guy that as a kid, used to run fly patterns next to Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey in the summer, he knows how hard it is to be a head coach in the NFL. To land a stable job in the NFL requires time, effort, and most of all, patience. Kyle learned that lesson as a youngster because his father’s job forced him to move six times by the age of 15.
Like Mike, Kyle started working in the league at a young age. He was just 24 years old when he became an offensive assistant with Tampa Bay in 2004. Mike jumped into the league at 32 years old with a job as an offensive coordinator with the Broncos. Kyle’s parents urged him to pursue a different career when he was younger. His mother, Peggy, says “He’s a real good arguer, so when he was real young, we started saying, ‘lawyer,’ and pushing in that direction.” However, Kyle always knew what his calling was.
Mike says that he was 38 before he had the knowledge that Kyle has right now. Kyle is not worried about his age either. He says, “people make a big deal about it, but personally, I feel my age is my No. 1 asset. If you don’t know what you’re doing and players realize that, it doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s going to be miserable for you.”
I have a feeling that we will be seeing a Shanahan on the sidelines for many years to come.
H/T: Rocky Mountain News