Stanford head coach David Shaw has stepped down after 12 seasons as football coach at the school. Following Saturday night’s 35-25 loss to BYU, he announced his decision.
“I prayed about it, I thought about it,” Shaw said. “With every hour it seemed, it was more cemented in my head. The phrase that kept coming to me is: ‘It’s time.'”
Shaw played college football at Stanford from 1991-1994 as a wide receiver. Shaw got his first taste of coaching in 1995 at Western Washington, where he worked for two years, coaching outside linebackers and tight ends.
After his two seasons at Western Washington, Shaw coached in the NFL for ten seasons. He spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens coaching staffs.
In 2006 Shaw left the NFL to join head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego as passing game coordinator. Under Shaw, the Toreros’ passing game averaged 293.3 yards per game and 42.83 points per contest.
When Harbaugh jumped to Stanford in 2007, he brought Shaw with him as offensive coordinator. Shaw also coached wide receivers and running backs, with quarterback Andrew Luck winning the 2010 Heisman Trophy under Shaw’s tutelage. In addition, the coach helped Stanford set school records in points scored in back-to-back seasons.
In January of 2011, Shaw was promoted to Stanford’s head coach when Harbaugh left for the NFL to coach the San Francisco 49ers. In Shaw’s first three seasons as head coach, he led the Cardinal to three straight BCS Bowl Games, including two Rose Bowls.
After the 2018 season, Stanford struggled, going 4-8 in 2019, 4-2 in 2020, 3-9 in 2021, and 3-9 this year. It’s been difficult for Stanford with the NIL and transfer portal as the school has lagged behind other power 5 programs.
“Stanford historically doesn’t change quickly,” he said. “We are methodical. … It’s been difficult, but it’s been difficult for everybody.”
In 12 seasons at Stanford, Shaw compiled a 96-54 overall record and a 65-50 record in the Pac-12. He won two Rose Bowls, three Pac-12 titles, and four Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards.
Shaw isn’t burnt out from coaching, but felt like his time at Stanford was long enough. “I am not burnt out,” he said. “I’m healthy; I feel good. But 16 years is a long time. … Sixteen years of running a program, 16 years of being responsible for everything, and everybody catches up to you.”
It will be interesting to see what Shaw does next. Despite the last few years, he remains a highly respected coach in both the professional and college ranks. Many colleges and NFL teams will likely be calling Shaw to see if he is interested in other jobs in the coming days.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: Cynthia Yock. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.