There are a few notable figures on Indiana's sidelines at any given moment. Curt Cignetti is arguably college football's finest coach, having led the Hoosiers to historic performances in back-to-back seasons. Fernando Mendoza is also a star, having hoisted the Heisman Trophy after a glistening 2025 campaign.
But few surnames sparkle on the gridiron quite like Shanahan. Mike Shanahan was one of the NFL's finest minds during his Hall-of-Fame-caliber coaching career with the Broncos. More than 30 years later, there is another Mike Shanahan making waves, this one coming to prominence in central Indiana.
Here's a look at the relationship between Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and his famous namesake.
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Is Mike Shanahan Indiana related to Mike Shanahan?
Indiana's offensive coordinator may share a last name with coaching's most famous first family. But he doesn't actually come from their lineage. Shanahan is not related to the former Broncos and Washington coach, nor his son, Kyle.
Where is Mike Shanahan from?
Mike Shanahan hails from North Huntingdon, PA, a township located in on the easternmost part of Westmoreland County.
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Shanahan shined at Norwin High School, emerging as one of the region's better wideouts. A three-time first team All-Foothills Conference selectee, Shanahan tallied nearly 2,000 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns with the Knights. He was rewarded with a scholarship offer at nearby Pittsburgh, where he spent four seasons. As a senior, Shanahan collected 62 receptions for 983 yards and six touchdowns, earning second-team All-Big East honors in the process.
Mike Shanahan Indiana coaching history
Shanahan briefly tried his luck in the NFL, inking short-term deals with the Jets and Buccaneers after failing to hear his name called during the 2013 NFL Draft. By 2014, he was out of the league entirely, opting to return to his alma mater instead as a volunteer assistant.
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Shanahan was promoted to graduate assistant in 2015. In 2016, he joined IUP's coaching staff, landing a wide receivers coach gig under Curt Cignetti. He followed Cignetti to Elon and James Madison. In 2021, Shanahan was promoted to offensive coordinator — a job he would hold for three seasons before joining Cignetti at Indiana in 2024.
He has earned rave reviews in his first two years since in Bloomington.
"I think the main thing is that he believes in his playmakers," Hoosier center Pat Coogan told 247 Sports. "He believes in us. He does a great job of putting his playmakers in a position to succeed. He lets his ego go at the door and really just cares about the overall success of the unit, and that is getting the ball in the hands of people we all know can make plays… explosive plays."
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Mike Shanahan NFL coaching tree
Kyle Shanahan
Kyle has enjoyed a sterling career in the spotlight, becoming one of the NFL's best head coaches with the 49ers. The younger Shanahan is arguably football's preeminent offensive mind, leading San Francisco to four NFC Championship games and two Super Bowls across nine seasons in the Bay Area.
Mike McDaniel
A former coaching intern under Shanahan, McDaniel has found decent success since being appointed as the Dolphins' head coach in 2022. Under his tutelage, Miami's offense has tended to be prolific, producing points in bunches. However, the team doesn't have much playoff success to its name, having missed the postseason in each of the past two seasons and failing to record a playoff win during his tenure.
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Matt LaFleur
LaFleur was Washington's quarterbacks coach from 2010-2013, partnering with McDaniel and the younger Shanahan as well as future NFL coaches Sean McVay and Raheem Morris. He played a pivotal role in shaping the development Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins during the 2012 season.
LaFleur also spent time on the Falcons, Rams and Titans' staffs before being named head coach of the Packers in 2019. Green Bay has been one of the NFL's best teams since his appointment, posting a 76-39-1 record across seven seasons.
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Gary Kubiak
A longtime NFL quarterback who primarily served as John Elway's backup across nine seasons, Kubiak was thrust into the coaching world shortly after his retirement. He helped lead the Broncos' Elway-helmed attack to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998 before landing his first head-coaching gig with the Texans in 2006. Kubiak resurfaced in 2015 as Denver's head coach, leading the Broncos to a Super Bowl title before stepping away due to health concerns.
Sean McVay
McVay is arguably the best coach to have emerged from the Mike Shanahan coaching tree. He got his career started with the Buccaneers and Jon Gruden in 2008 before teaming up with Mike Shanahan in Washington. Nevertheless, his career has worked out just fine: McVay's Rams have been to two Super Bowls, winning one with Matthew Stafford, and have been perennial playoff contenders since his arrival in 2017.
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