11-19-2019, 12:25 PM
Infrequent poster here, but frequent reader of various boards (and certain flyer-based publications, back in the day) since 1994.
I feel like we've seen this arc before... coach inherits solid recruits, focuses on discipline/strength, team excels, and eventually pipeline dries up, offense gets dull (or opposition adjusts), etc. Reminds me of the Tyrone Willingham years.
Back then there were a lot of similar comments. Of course Ty left for Notre Dame and left us with a bare cupboard on the OL, but I remember plenty of people being all jazzed up over the "Fun 'n' Gun" offense that was coming in.
How is this different?
- I don't think we're as screwed on the OL as we were back then
- I haven't heard that Admissions has tightened up (which, IIRC, was a contributing factor in Ty's later years)
- We have a head coach that's very committed to Stanford
The mistake a lot of us made when Ty left was in pushing for a radical change in the offense and looking for that change to happen at the head coach position. I think the team culture formula that Shaw/Harbs have established is the winning formula for Stanford ("Intellectual Brutality" was probably the best way of summarizing it but of course it's more nuanced than that). Shaw needs to pivot to be much more of a culture-and-reputation-coach who focuses on ensuring that the foundation is there and can jump into anyone's kitchen where needed to apply the right tension and focus. S&C slipping? Spend time there. Specific recruiting gaps? Focus there. Reinvigorate the basic platform and then open it up for assistant coaches to innovate: "you have some forward-looking ideas for next evolution of offenses, that are attractive at NFL level? Great. Here's a group of strong, smart, and intensely competitive guys. Now have at it... in the meantime I'm going to teach you how to be a head coach who can one day lead your own team with the culture we've got here at Stanford."
So it comes down to what some have been saying already: we need a change at Offensive Coordinator, to someone who will also call the vast majority of the plays. Signal something fresh to recruits and fans, while keeping our cultural foundation in place. A change which isn't necessarily irreparable if it doesn't work out.
I feel like we've seen this arc before... coach inherits solid recruits, focuses on discipline/strength, team excels, and eventually pipeline dries up, offense gets dull (or opposition adjusts), etc. Reminds me of the Tyrone Willingham years.
Back then there were a lot of similar comments. Of course Ty left for Notre Dame and left us with a bare cupboard on the OL, but I remember plenty of people being all jazzed up over the "Fun 'n' Gun" offense that was coming in.
How is this different?
- I don't think we're as screwed on the OL as we were back then
- I haven't heard that Admissions has tightened up (which, IIRC, was a contributing factor in Ty's later years)
- We have a head coach that's very committed to Stanford
The mistake a lot of us made when Ty left was in pushing for a radical change in the offense and looking for that change to happen at the head coach position. I think the team culture formula that Shaw/Harbs have established is the winning formula for Stanford ("Intellectual Brutality" was probably the best way of summarizing it but of course it's more nuanced than that). Shaw needs to pivot to be much more of a culture-and-reputation-coach who focuses on ensuring that the foundation is there and can jump into anyone's kitchen where needed to apply the right tension and focus. S&C slipping? Spend time there. Specific recruiting gaps? Focus there. Reinvigorate the basic platform and then open it up for assistant coaches to innovate: "you have some forward-looking ideas for next evolution of offenses, that are attractive at NFL level? Great. Here's a group of strong, smart, and intensely competitive guys. Now have at it... in the meantime I'm going to teach you how to be a head coach who can one day lead your own team with the culture we've got here at Stanford."
So it comes down to what some have been saying already: we need a change at Offensive Coordinator, to someone who will also call the vast majority of the plays. Signal something fresh to recruits and fans, while keeping our cultural foundation in place. A change which isn't necessarily irreparable if it doesn't work out.