[Mick]

Positives:

1.  He's a winner.  Record better than virtually all prior Stanford head coaches and virtually all existing NCAA football coaches with a few exceptions.

2.  He's a recruiter in an exceedingly difficult pool.  I was once at a large national event for top high school talent, standing next to a Stanford coach (who has won championships).  He had a list of the Top 50 recruits in his sport, all of whom were at the event, and he highlighted four of the fifty.  I asked if those were his top selections, and he said drily "Those are the four that can get into Stanford."  Four out of 50.  8%.  By and large, Shaw gets very strong players from a ridiculously small pool.  For these top two reasons alone, he's amazing.

3.  He "gets" Stanford in a way that virtually no other coach does.

4.  He's loyal.

5.  He fits in with all communities; coaches, players, fans, boosters, media, Stanford senior admin.  That's quite a trick.

There's more, but I listed the five that I think most coaches don't have, and given our historical experience, it's very rare that we get a great coach, and when we do, they usually leave.  Speaking of which, I really hope Shaw's kids are admitted to Stanford.  In 5.5 years (or sooner), we are likely to see just how badly the 49ers want Shaw as a coach.  Their last three have been heinous...Shanahan just managed the 49ers to their first-ever 0-8 start.  First in the history of the franchise.  Not even Tomsula was that terrible.  The last great coach that the 49ers had was Harbaugh, who is tied to...Shaw.  It's a five-years-down-the-road problem...but it's a problem, no question.  Jed's got lots of money to throw at his problem.  I think he'll give Shanahan and Lynch at least four of the six years to solve it, but if after four they aren't performing, they will make a very, very strong run at Shaw.

[Mick]

Positives:

1.  He's a winner.  Record better than virtually all prior Stanford head coaches and virtually all existing NCAA football coaches with a few exceptions.

2.  He's a recruiter in an exceedingly difficult pool.  I was once at a large national event for top high school talent, standing next to a Stanford coach (who has won championships).  He had a list of the Top 50 recruits in his sport, all of whom were at the event, and he highlighted four of the fifty.  I asked if those were his top selections, and he said drily "Those are the four that can get into Stanford."  Four out of 50.  8%.  By and large, Shaw gets very strong players from a ridiculously small pool.  For these top two reasons alone, he's amazing.

3.  He "gets" Stanford in a way that virtually no other coach does.

4.  He's loyal.

5.  He fits in with all communities; coaches, players, fans, boosters, media, Stanford senior admin.  That's quite a trick.

There's more, but I listed the five that I think most coaches don't have, and given our historical experience, it's very rare that we get a great coach, and when we do, they usually leave.  Speaking of which, I really hope Shaw's kids are admitted to Stanford.  In 5.5 years (or sooner), we are likely to see just how badly the 49ers want Shaw as a coach.  Their last three have been heinous...Shanahan just managed the 49ers to their first-ever 0-8 start.  First in the history of the franchise.  Not even Tomsula was that terrible.  The last great coach that the 49ers had was Harbaugh, who is tied to...Shaw.  It's a five-years-down-the-road problem...but it's a problem, no question.  Jed's got lots of money to throw at his problem.  I think he'll give Shanahan and Lynch at least four of the six years to solve it, but if after four they aren't performing, they will make a very, very strong run at Shaw.