Faithful Flashbacks #42: Hiring Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch

Faithful Flashbacks revisits the 49ers hiring Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, the start of their modern turnaround.

Jul 14, 2026, 7:00 AM Updated: 9:12 am

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 42 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers hiring Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.

By the time San Francisco made the move in 2017, the franchise badly needed a reset. The success of the Jim Harbaugh era faded quickly, and the years that followed were filled with necessary coaching changes and roster turnover.

That offseason, they paired Shanahan with Lynch, giving both six-year contracts and a real runway to reshape the organization. Lynch was a surprising choice because he had never worked as a general manager at that point, even if his professional career was highly respected.

Shanahan was a more ‘traditional’ hire, already viewed as one of the NFL’s best offensive coordinators, who had yet to be given an opportunity to lead his own franchise. It gave both of them the chance to grow together and work in unison to shape the organization as they wanted.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s impressive how close the pairing seems to have grown and how far they’ve brought along the team since taking over.

Early on was a period of figuring out. The roster needed reshaping, including finding a long-term starting quarterback, which was a process in itself. But the team had a clear direction, led by Lynch and Shanahan, that helped revive the franchise’s high expectations.

In the nine seasons since then, San Francisco has won three NFC West titles, reached four NFC Championship games, and appeared in two Super Bowls. Unfortunately, they were unable to come home champions on either occasion, but that’s still an undeniably impressive run that is still being written. The 49ers have an 82-67 regular-season record during that time.

The Shanahan-Lynch era has not been perfect, but they have found success aside from a championship. The pairings are essential to the modern 49ers. San Francisco has returned to Super Bowl contention, built some of the league’s best rosters, and become a regular factor in the NFC again.

For a franchise that had been drifting after the Harbaugh years, hiring Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch became the move that started the climb back.

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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