12-13-2012, 08:00 AM
After the Orange Bowl and Harbaugh's departure, I determined I was done worrying over whether we would lose a coach to the NFL. I realized how special that Orange Bowl was and the amazing things Harbaugh did for our program.
Don't get me wrong. I really like David Shaw and hope he decides to stay and coach Stanford for the long haul. And I hope our Athletic Department is helping make that happen. I think Shaw is more likely than any Stanford head coach to turn down an NFL offer. He is a Stanford alum and by all accounts he loves it here. All that said, I will never criticize anyone for wanting to challenge themselves at the next level like Harbaugh did. If Shaw decides he wants that challenge, we have to respect that and turn our energy to hiring the next great coach. The fear of having our coaches poached by the NFL is something we haven't had to worry about for a few decades before Harbaugh and it is a nice worry to have.
Don't get me wrong. I really like David Shaw and hope he decides to stay and coach Stanford for the long haul. And I hope our Athletic Department is helping make that happen. I think Shaw is more likely than any Stanford head coach to turn down an NFL offer. He is a Stanford alum and by all accounts he loves it here. All that said, I will never criticize anyone for wanting to challenge themselves at the next level like Harbaugh did. If Shaw decides he wants that challenge, we have to respect that and turn our energy to hiring the next great coach. The fear of having our coaches poached by the NFL is something we haven't had to worry about for a few decades before Harbaugh and it is a nice worry to have.