Love Luck and all HE did for Stanford Football, but I suspect he will be a horrible coach, and I mean that as a compliment.
In most sports the very best players have rarely been very good at coaching. They saw the play or opponents in ways mere mortals took longer to process. Or they did things that others couldn't dream to accomplish physically, or they had a drive to execute things at a level of consistent perfection that others would find annoying. And any of those traits then makes it hard for them to coach the game.
IMHO it is best to be good at the game, but not so great that you are unable to understand how less skilled types might be able to succeed. So better to be a Harbaugh than an Elway. Better to be a Shaw than a Rice or Moss. One counterargument could be a coach that was a super player might recruit better, but at Stanford I don't think the celebrity recruit benefits would be meaningful given the academic screen.
In terms of Shaw and his bias, those in the stands know the deal by now. When the offense was really struggling he would talk with that unit even while the game was taking place on the field. I can't recall him ever talking to the defense while the offense was on the field. So he is a CEO for the defense, but the family owner for the offense.
Once upon a time I thought Stanford could not afford to compete for top tier OCs, but now I suspect the money is there. Shaw could even see the benefits of carving out some of his salary to secure a good OC to extend his time as head coach. The team failures of 2019 and 2021 may actually make the hire easier. Someone might agree to come in as long as they can implement their own system. Then they might see Stanford as a decent opportunity since any success in 2022 or 2023 would be attributed, in part, to the new OC.
I have long wondered if Coach Shaw has tells in his signals, expressions or player substitutions. I remember the Pac-12 CG that Stanford lost, there were more than a few times when I thought Shaw's signals coupled with his expressions and the set of play specific players running into the huddle made it crystal clear what Stanford was about to attempt. Additionally Coach Shaw and his tendencies must be clear with a decade of plays to analyze. I can't help but suspect by now that a number of Pac-12 teams pretty much know what to expect on almost every play by mid-season. All of that predictability must become even more problematic if the OL is not exactly best in the Pac and are unable to just do what they want to do even when the opponent knows what is coming.
FWIW - In 2022 I would really like to see Shaw not signal plays and hope he can find a new OC to bring in a fresh perspective.
In most sports the very best players have rarely been very good at coaching. They saw the play or opponents in ways mere mortals took longer to process. Or they did things that others couldn't dream to accomplish physically, or they had a drive to execute things at a level of consistent perfection that others would find annoying. And any of those traits then makes it hard for them to coach the game.
IMHO it is best to be good at the game, but not so great that you are unable to understand how less skilled types might be able to succeed. So better to be a Harbaugh than an Elway. Better to be a Shaw than a Rice or Moss. One counterargument could be a coach that was a super player might recruit better, but at Stanford I don't think the celebrity recruit benefits would be meaningful given the academic screen.
In terms of Shaw and his bias, those in the stands know the deal by now. When the offense was really struggling he would talk with that unit even while the game was taking place on the field. I can't recall him ever talking to the defense while the offense was on the field. So he is a CEO for the defense, but the family owner for the offense.
Once upon a time I thought Stanford could not afford to compete for top tier OCs, but now I suspect the money is there. Shaw could even see the benefits of carving out some of his salary to secure a good OC to extend his time as head coach. The team failures of 2019 and 2021 may actually make the hire easier. Someone might agree to come in as long as they can implement their own system. Then they might see Stanford as a decent opportunity since any success in 2022 or 2023 would be attributed, in part, to the new OC.
I have long wondered if Coach Shaw has tells in his signals, expressions or player substitutions. I remember the Pac-12 CG that Stanford lost, there were more than a few times when I thought Shaw's signals coupled with his expressions and the set of play specific players running into the huddle made it crystal clear what Stanford was about to attempt. Additionally Coach Shaw and his tendencies must be clear with a decade of plays to analyze. I can't help but suspect by now that a number of Pac-12 teams pretty much know what to expect on almost every play by mid-season. All of that predictability must become even more problematic if the OL is not exactly best in the Pac and are unable to just do what they want to do even when the opponent knows what is coming.
FWIW - In 2022 I would really like to see Shaw not signal plays and hope he can find a new OC to bring in a fresh perspective.