[gailtate]

Well actually both Christianson and Dowhauer were given the keys

Not a good comparison, and it was a dramatically different football world in the 1970s. What's more, neither Christiansen nor Dowhower inherited the depth, system and recruiting momentum that was bequeathed by JH to DS after the Orange Bowl in 2011. Dowhower, after one season, realized that he hated the head-coaching job at Stanford and resigned. He should have avoided it elsewhere, too. In the mid '80s at Vanderbilt he was fired after a two-year stint an a 10-23-1 record. In the 90s, as HC of Colts in the NFL, he departed after two years and a record of 5-24. Chris was never a HC again.

Point is, Shaw was astute enough to effectively exploit the Harbaugh momentum, but even then he was revealing the flaws that would doom him later, finding ways to lose eminently winnable games in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl  and 2014 Rose Bowls for example, and steadily allowing his coaching staff to erode and recruiting to slip significantly. The deeper problem I see, however, is a temperament/personality issue. He seems to want to be the smartest guy in the room all the time and is uncomfortable "hiring up" and encouraging creative conflict. I say his best days are behind him if he cannot grow out of his self-made straight-jacket. Guy needs an intervention.

[gailtate]

Well actually both Christianson and Dowhauer were given the keys

Not a good comparison, and it was a dramatically different football world in the 1970s. What's more, neither Christiansen nor Dowhower inherited the depth, system and recruiting momentum that was bequeathed by JH to DS after the Orange Bowl in 2011. Dowhower, after one season, realized that he hated the head-coaching job at Stanford and resigned. He should have avoided it elsewhere, too. In the mid '80s at Vanderbilt he was fired after a two-year stint an a 10-23-1 record. In the 90s, as HC of Colts in the NFL, he departed after two years and a record of 5-24. Chris was never a HC again.

Point is, Shaw was astute enough to effectively exploit the Harbaugh momentum, but even then he was revealing the flaws that would doom him later, finding ways to lose eminently winnable games in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl  and 2014 Rose Bowls for example, and steadily allowing his coaching staff to erode and recruiting to slip significantly. The deeper problem I see, however, is a temperament/personality issue. He seems to want to be the smartest guy in the room all the time and is uncomfortable "hiring up" and encouraging creative conflict. I say his best days are behind him if he cannot grow out of his self-made straight-jacket. Guy needs an intervention.