Shanahan and the two Mikes
Triumvirate of coaches are responsible for the 49ers’ offense that got them to the Super Bowl
Miami — Kyle Shanahan is widely viewed as the offensive mastermind who singularly transformed the 49ers from a downtrodden organization to championship contender in just three seasons.
But San Francisco's second-ranked scoring offense wouldn't be in Sunday's Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs without Shanahan's top two offensive lieutenants, the Mikes, LaFleur and McDaniel.
“I know I get a lot of credit for stuff that happens on offense, but those guys, they've taken a lot of that over,” Shanahan, the head coach, said in Miami on Thursday.
Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel both serve as Shanahan's righthand men. LaFleur, the passing game coordinator, was promoted last offseason from working predominately with receivers. He now spends most of his time in the quarterback room. He's the brother of Packers first-year coach Matt LaFleur, who also worked with Shanahan as a quarterbacks coach.
McDaniel is the Yale-educated run game coordinator who helped San Francisco's offense orchestrate dominant performances on the ground in the playoffs. The offense rushed for a staggering 471 yards combined against the Vikings and Packers while winning each game by 17 points.
McDaniel and LaFleur are the two most important members of the offensive staff. They help formulate game plans on Mondays and Tuesdays during the season while Shanahan, who is the play-caller and official offensive coordinator, handles
his head coaching duties that include meeting with general manager John Lynch, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the medical staff and his sessions with the media.
“I'm spread a little more thin earlier in the week. It's something that I used to stress about a lot, but giving those guys those responsibilities, they've grown so much more in that way. That's why I don't stress about it much any more,” Shanahan said. “They know what they're doing and by the end of the week, we're all on the same page and it really helps me for Sunday.”
McDaniel has been with Shanahan since way back in 2006 as a quality control coach helping Shanahan while he coached receivers with the
Houston Texans.
LaFleur came later, joining Shanahan's staff in Cleveland in 2014 before following him to the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco when Shanahan was hired in 2017. He got to know Shanahan through his brother, Matt, who was on the same Houston staff as a low-level assistant starting in 2008.
But the three have noticeably different personalities.
Offensive triumvirate
Shanahan looks like an easy-going, trendy coach with his flat-billed mesh hat. But he'll joke with others about how he's obsessive compulsive with his habits when it comes to football.
LaFleur, who's in his early 30s, is bright-eyed and diplomatic. He feels comfortable talking to the media despite not doing it often. The media availability leading up to the Super Bowl forces all position coaches and high-level assistants to talk to the press three times during Super Bowl week, while those assistants generally speak with reporters just once at some point early in training camp.
The dynamic between the three isn't always rosy. Designing a complex NFL offense is part science and artistry. The same conflicts that might arise in a rock band come up when the trio is focusing on opposing defenses.
“It's not always we're all the best of friends, which we shouldn't be,” LaFleur said. “But at the same time, we enjoy working with each other.”
Said McDaniel: “It's a weird mix of dad, brother, boss. It's a very cool dynamic because when you have a collection of like-minded individuals who are just trying to be the best coaches that they can be.”
McDaniel is regarded as one of the brainiest assistants in the NFL. He overcame a bout with alcoholism after going to an in-patient treatment facility in 2015 and has his life back on track as one of the most-respected offensive coaches in the league.
His long curly hair, zipup hoodies and high fashion sneakers cover up some of his nerd-like tendencies. He patrols the field during pregame warm ups in expensive noise-canceling headphones, just like a player would.
“He's a quirky guy, very intelligent, loves to make nerdy jokes,” fellow Ivy League alum and fullback Kyle Juszczyk said of McDaniel. “But he's the guy I fall back on for everything. I really go to Mike for any question I have in this offense. It doesn't matter what time. I could FaceTime the guy at 2 a.m. He's going to answer. He's going to give me whatever I need and answer any question I have.”