MIAMI, Fla. -- Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan's relationship is one that most quarterbacks and coaches would kill for. Their bond is one of the reasons -- despite Garoppolo's doubters -- that the 49ers are preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday in Miami.

Shanahan can be hard on Garoppolo when needed. He'll yell and scream, harp on what his quarterback does wrong, but Garoppolo takes it all in stride. An original product of perhaps the hardest coach in the NFL in Bill Belichick, Garoppolo appreciates how hard he is coached by Shanahan.

From Shanahan's standpoint, Garoppolo's demeanor makes him a special QB.

"Jimmy is just fun because there is no B.S. to Jimmy," Shanahan said Thursday. "You don't have to play any games with him. You don't have to sit there and tell him how much you care about him. He knows I do. We're good. And he doesn't have to tell me anything like that either. We're al right. So, we just live each day together. I go coach him hard when I need to, I'm cool with him when I don't need to be and every day is kind of the same.

"Jimmy is very hard on himself. He likes you to get on him because I think it helps him focus. Like it does me also. Jimmy goes as hard as he can and we're both ourselves and we don't deviate from that at all.

"I think just getting to know him and being with him over these two years, it has been a good match because our personalities match up well and we bring out the best in each other."

The doubters have been raging against Garoppolo all season long, but all he has done is lead the 49ers to 15 wins and be clutch when his number has been called upon.

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The quarterback-coach pairing is the catalyst to almost any Super Bowl champion, and is essential to make the leap from one-time champion to NFL dynasty.

The 49ers can check that box as long as Shanahan and Garoppolo continue to thrive together.

Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers Super Bowl coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8:30 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday).



Also tune in at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday for a two-hour special of "49ers Pregame Live" with Laura Britt, Donte Whitner, Jeff Garcia, Ian Williams, Kelli Johnson, Greg Papa and Grant Liffmann. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on "49ers Postgame Live," starting immediately after the game