[Papa John]

But if we restrict it to a four-year minimum, we get:
Pop Warner, .781, Stanford record the year before he started was 7-2
David Shaw, .759 (so far), Stanford record the year before he started was 12-1
John Ralston, .601, Stanford record the year before he started was 5-5
Bill Walsh, .585, Stanford records the year before he started were 6-5 (Walsh I) and 8-4
Jim Harbaugh, .580, Stanford record the year before he started was 1-11.

That's a great list, and I would rank them Warner, Harbaugh, Shaw, Ralston, Walsh.

I can't comment on Warner but I think context, (which you noted) is way more important than the W-L stats when "ranking" these coaches.

<snip>

Bottom line is that I can't see ranking Shaw higher than the other 3, but the criteria are not crystal clear anyway.

Good point, qwerty49. I didn't have time to complete my rationalize in my earlier post. I was also considering peak performance during the coach's tenure and how the team did for the couple of years after each coach left.

Warner's 1926 team was undefeated and tied Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Stanford was recognized as mythical national champion by something called the Dickinson system and co-champion (with Bama) by Helms Athletic Foundation, National Championship Foundation, and Jeff Sagarin. The 1927 team won the Rose Bowl versus Pitt. As someone else mentioned, Tiny Thornhill followed Warner and took Stanford to the Rose Bowl his first three years before the metaphorical wheels fell off the wagon--his last four years, Thornhill's teams went a collective 10-21-5!

Harbaugh, as noted elsewhere, took over Stanford after one of the worst years in its football history. His team peaked in 2010 with a resounding victory over Va Tech, a 12-1 record and #4 in the final AP poll. After Harbaugh handed the reins to Shaw, Stanford continued its winning ways with trips to the Fiesta and Rose x2 Bowls.

Shaw's best season was 2015. The team finished as conference champions, 12-2 overall, destroyed Iowa in the Rose Bowl and finished #3 in the final AP poll. This is the highest final AP ranking (I think AP started ranking teams in the 1930s) for Stanford with the exception of Shaughnessy's 10-0 Rose Bowl winning team in 1940--that team finished #2 in the AP poll. We'll see if Shaw ends his career more like Warner or more like Thornhill.

Ralston's best season was 1970, which featured Stanford's only H e i s m a n winner, a 9-3 record, Rose Bowl win over heavily-favored tOSU and a final AP ranking of #8. After winning a second Rose Bowl in 1971, Ralston was followed by Jack Christiansen, whose three-year record was 18-12-3 but never finished with a ranked team.

Walsh's best season was 1992, with a 10-3 record, a resounding win over Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl and #9 final AP ranking. During Walsh I, Stanford won the Sun and Bluebonnet Bowls and finished ranked #15 and #17 in 1977-78. Walsh I was followed by Ron Dowhower (one season) and Paul Wiggin who collectively finished below .500. Walsh II was followed Ty Willingham, who took Stanford to the Liberty and Sun Bowl in his first two seasons.

So in terms of best seasons among the select five, we have:
Warner
Shaw
Harbaugh
Ralston
Walsh II

In terms of how the team fared after they left, we have:
Warner
Harbaugh
Shaw
Ralston
Walsh II

Overall, the ten best seasons for Stanford football in terms of winning percentage are:
1940, 10-0, Shaugnessy
1926, 10-0-1, Warner
2010, 12-1, Harbaugh
1935, 8-1, Thornhill
1934, 9-1-1, Thornhill
1930, 9-1-1, Warner
2015, 12-2, Shaw
2012, 12-2, Shaw
2011, 11-2, Shaw
1924, 7-1-1, Warner

Stanford has been ranked by the AP in its final poll 20 times, but note that there were no AP rankings during the Warner era. The top final AP ranking are:
1940 #2, Shaughnessy
2015 #3, Shaw
2010 #4, Harbaugh
1951 #7, Taylor 
2011 #7, Shaw
2012 #7, Shaw
1970 #8, Ralston
1992 #9, Walsh
1971 #10, Ralston
2013 #11, Shaw

So these were my criteria for my rankings of the five winningest coaches at Stanford, given the four-year minimum. I don't think anyone is quibbling with Pop Warner at #1. I put Harbaugh at #2 because of what he inherited and what he built. #3 Shaw gets some credit as a member of Harbaugh's staff and the main recruiter of Andrew Luck, but Harbaugh gets some credit for the first few years of Shaw's success. I consider 2015 to be Shaw's creation. Harbaugh had been gone for at least two years before most of those players signed with Stanford.  On the other hand, Harbaugh's teams improved every year. We all know about the disastrous 2019 season under Shaw. #4 Ralston's career started slowly but improved and maintained a high level from 1968 on. Walsh II started very promisingly but ended with two losing seasons.

[Papa John]

But if we restrict it to a four-year minimum, we get:
Pop Warner, .781, Stanford record the year before he started was 7-2
David Shaw, .759 (so far), Stanford record the year before he started was 12-1
John Ralston, .601, Stanford record the year before he started was 5-5
Bill Walsh, .585, Stanford records the year before he started were 6-5 (Walsh I) and 8-4
Jim Harbaugh, .580, Stanford record the year before he started was 1-11.

That's a great list, and I would rank them Warner, Harbaugh, Shaw, Ralston, Walsh.

I can't comment on Warner but I think context, (which you noted) is way more important than the W-L stats when "ranking" these coaches.

<snip>

Bottom line is that I can't see ranking Shaw higher than the other 3, but the criteria are not crystal clear anyway.

Good point, qwerty49. I didn't have time to complete my rationalize in my earlier post. I was also considering peak performance during the coach's tenure and how the team did for the couple of years after each coach left.

Warner's 1926 team was undefeated and tied Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Stanford was recognized as mythical national champion by something called the Dickinson system and co-champion (with Bama) by Helms Athletic Foundation, National Championship Foundation, and Jeff Sagarin. The 1927 team won the Rose Bowl versus Pitt. As someone else mentioned, Tiny Thornhill followed Warner and took Stanford to the Rose Bowl his first three years before the metaphorical wheels fell off the wagon--his last four years, Thornhill's teams went a collective 10-21-5!

Harbaugh, as noted elsewhere, took over Stanford after one of the worst years in its football history. His team peaked in 2010 with a resounding victory over Va Tech, a 12-1 record and #4 in the final AP poll. After Harbaugh handed the reins to Shaw, Stanford continued its winning ways with trips to the Fiesta and Rose x2 Bowls.

Shaw's best season was 2015. The team finished as conference champions, 12-2 overall, destroyed Iowa in the Rose Bowl and finished #3 in the final AP poll. This is the highest final AP ranking (I think AP started ranking teams in the 1930s) for Stanford with the exception of Shaughnessy's 10-0 Rose Bowl winning team in 1940--that team finished #2 in the AP poll. We'll see if Shaw ends his career more like Warner or more like Thornhill.

Ralston's best season was 1970, which featured Stanford's only H e i s m a n winner, a 9-3 record, Rose Bowl win over heavily-favored tOSU and a final AP ranking of #8. After winning a second Rose Bowl in 1971, Ralston was followed by Jack Christiansen, whose three-year record was 18-12-3 but never finished with a ranked team.

Walsh's best season was 1992, with a 10-3 record, a resounding win over Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl and #9 final AP ranking. During Walsh I, Stanford won the Sun and Bluebonnet Bowls and finished ranked #15 and #17 in 1977-78. Walsh I was followed by Ron Dowhower (one season) and Paul Wiggin who collectively finished below .500. Walsh II was followed Ty Willingham, who took Stanford to the Liberty and Sun Bowl in his first two seasons.

So in terms of best seasons among the select five, we have:
Warner
Shaw
Harbaugh
Ralston
Walsh II

In terms of how the team fared after they left, we have:
Warner
Harbaugh
Shaw
Ralston
Walsh II

Overall, the ten best seasons for Stanford football in terms of winning percentage are:
1940, 10-0, Shaugnessy
1926, 10-0-1, Warner
2010, 12-1, Harbaugh
1935, 8-1, Thornhill
1934, 9-1-1, Thornhill
1930, 9-1-1, Warner
2015, 12-2, Shaw
2012, 12-2, Shaw
2011, 11-2, Shaw
1924, 7-1-1, Warner

Stanford has been ranked by the AP in its final poll 20 times, but note that there were no AP rankings during the Warner era. The top final AP ranking are:
1940 #2, Shaughnessy
2015 #3, Shaw
2010 #4, Harbaugh
1951 #7, Taylor 
2011 #7, Shaw
2012 #7, Shaw
1970 #8, Ralston
1992 #9, Walsh
1971 #10, Ralston
2013 #11, Shaw

So these were my criteria for my rankings of the five winningest coaches at Stanford, given the four-year minimum. I don't think anyone is quibbling with Pop Warner at #1. I put Harbaugh at #2 because of what he inherited and what he built. #3 Shaw gets some credit as a member of Harbaugh's staff and the main recruiter of Andrew Luck, but Harbaugh gets some credit for the first few years of Shaw's success. I consider 2015 to be Shaw's creation. Harbaugh had been gone for at least two years before most of those players signed with Stanford.  On the other hand, Harbaugh's teams improved every year. We all know about the disastrous 2019 season under Shaw. #4 Ralston's career started slowly but improved and maintained a high level from 1968 on. Walsh II started very promisingly but ended with two losing seasons.