[CornFed]

I want Shaw to succeed. I want him to win. There are a lot of question marks at the moment however. One thing though continues to pop into my mind, a great quote from Bum Phillips on Bear Bryant:

"Bryant can take his'n and beat your'n, and then he can turn around and take your'n and beat his'n."

As great as Shaw's been with Stanford over the previous 8 years, I don't think he quite rises anywhere close to that capability.

In 38 coaching seasons with four different 4 schools, Bryant had one losing season (his first year at A&M), and two other five loss seasons (both 6-5, the last two years Alabama's team was segregated).

Actually it’s a straw man. Shaw, one would think, has built up some equity. Obviously as with any coach, if it turns south and he fails for a few years, then it’s time to reassess and/or move-on   Losing 3 in a row for the first time in his career, having a losing record for the first time in his career (which I anticipate to be the case) is not enough to start talking about job security. Not close. 

But there has always been a strange ambivalence to Shaw. Even when they won. It wasn’t enough for many. Cause they didn’t like the offensive framework in which they built their success. I chalk it up to Stanford historically being QB U and the fans liking more wide open offenses,

Shaw has always been defined by his failures. Hell people keep bringing  up the Fiesta Bowl and MSU.

He is the most successful coach in Stanford history. Many seem to have a hard time digesting that. But it’s an unassailable fact.

Then there is the “Shaw compliment”. He’s a good man for the program, for the school etc. Translated- yeah he can’t really coach. But he represents well.

Almost every coach eventually gets fired. Or leaves when the writing is on the wall. That will happen someday. 

Maybe when it does, maybe Leach will be available. He wont represent well. But man what an offense.....

Shaw will continue to have the most all-time wins of any Stanford coach even if he goes 1-11 for the next five decades, so I'm not sure that's a great metric by which to judge him.
 

That, is one of the best lines I've read in awhile. Thanks!

The Bear was a legendary coach. 

So what was it about him that woul lead another coach to make such an observation?  Did he vary his system to utilize the varying talents of his different teams?  I thought he had a pretty set system and recruited players suited to that system, much like Shaw has done.  Maybe he was more inspirational, like Harbaugh when he first arrived.

[CornFed]

I want Shaw to succeed. I want him to win. There are a lot of question marks at the moment however. One thing though continues to pop into my mind, a great quote from Bum Phillips on Bear Bryant:

"Bryant can take his'n and beat your'n, and then he can turn around and take your'n and beat his'n."

As great as Shaw's been with Stanford over the previous 8 years, I don't think he quite rises anywhere close to that capability.

In 38 coaching seasons with four different 4 schools, Bryant had one losing season (his first year at A&M), and two other five loss seasons (both 6-5, the last two years Alabama's team was segregated).

Actually it’s a straw man. Shaw, one would think, has built up some equity. Obviously as with any coach, if it turns south and he fails for a few years, then it’s time to reassess and/or move-on   Losing 3 in a row for the first time in his career, having a losing record for the first time in his career (which I anticipate to be the case) is not enough to start talking about job security. Not close. 

But there has always been a strange ambivalence to Shaw. Even when they won. It wasn’t enough for many. Cause they didn’t like the offensive framework in which they built their success. I chalk it up to Stanford historically being QB U and the fans liking more wide open offenses,

Shaw has always been defined by his failures. Hell people keep bringing  up the Fiesta Bowl and MSU.

He is the most successful coach in Stanford history. Many seem to have a hard time digesting that. But it’s an unassailable fact.

Then there is the “Shaw compliment”. He’s a good man for the program, for the school etc. Translated- yeah he can’t really coach. But he represents well.

Almost every coach eventually gets fired. Or leaves when the writing is on the wall. That will happen someday. 

Maybe when it does, maybe Leach will be available. He wont represent well. But man what an offense.....

Shaw will continue to have the most all-time wins of any Stanford coach even if he goes 1-11 for the next five decades, so I'm not sure that's a great metric by which to judge him.
 

That, is one of the best lines I've read in awhile. Thanks!

The Bear was a legendary coach. 

So what was it about him that woul lead another coach to make such an observation?  Did he vary his system to utilize the varying talents of his different teams?  I thought he had a pretty set system and recruited players suited to that system, much like Shaw has done.  Maybe he was more inspirational, like Harbaugh when he first arrived.