[stanfan]

With all due respect, I don't think head coaching experience should be a make or break criterion.  While success as a head coach may provide  some comfort about a hire, I think coaching talent and extensive coaching experience are more critical.  While the examples are obviously from a different sport, we had pretty good luck hiring a couple of guys named Walsh and Shaw.  I do not believe either of them had head coaching experience before they were hired as head coaches at the Farm.  Unfortunately for us and for him, JD did not make a successful transition from assistant to head coach, but I believe there are many "successful" head coaches who would bomb at Stanford

[stanfan]

With all due respect, I don't think head coaching experience should be a make or break criterion.  While success as a head coach may provide  some comfort about a hire, I think coaching talent and extensive coaching experience are more critical.  While the examples are obviously from a different sport, we had pretty good luck hiring a couple of guys named Walsh and Shaw.  I do not believe either of them had head coaching experience before they were hired as head coaches at the Farm.  Unfortunately for us and for him, JD did not make a successful transition from assistant to head coach, but I believe there are many "successful" head coaches who would bomb at Stanford