[JohnR34231]

If there were recency bias then Shaw wouldn't belong on this list at all.

Shaw is to some extent a victim of his own success.
Once upon a time a, say, 9-4 record would be considered excellent at Stanford and a coach who achieved it would be highly regarded.
Thanks in part to Shaw's record from 2011-2015 it no longer is.

It's not about being a victim of your own success. This is a national list. It's about having an overall record of 22-17 and a conference record of 16-11 over the last three seasons and putting up an absolute stinker last season. Those are not the kinds of records that should land you on any top list when compared to other coaches around the country

How many coaches in my lifetime have had a three year record better than 22-17?

Harbaugh was 25-13 his last three years.
Willingham was 22-13 his last three years.
Willingham was 19-15 his first three years, but that percentage is a shade lower than 22-17.
Christiansen had a three year stretch he was 18-12, though only the last of those three years was after I was born.

Ralston was before my time.  So officially, aside from any of Shaw’s three year stretches before his last three years, there have only been two three year stretches where a single coach has had a better three year record than the worst three years under Shaw in my lifetime.

BC

If you want to pick a coach's worst year and throw it in a three year stretch there are a lot of coaches you can make look bad. Brian Kelly was 22-16 between 2014-2016. He is ranked #10.

[JohnR34231]

If there were recency bias then Shaw wouldn't belong on this list at all.

Shaw is to some extent a victim of his own success.
Once upon a time a, say, 9-4 record would be considered excellent at Stanford and a coach who achieved it would be highly regarded.
Thanks in part to Shaw's record from 2011-2015 it no longer is.

It's not about being a victim of your own success. This is a national list. It's about having an overall record of 22-17 and a conference record of 16-11 over the last three seasons and putting up an absolute stinker last season. Those are not the kinds of records that should land you on any top list when compared to other coaches around the country

How many coaches in my lifetime have had a three year record better than 22-17?

Harbaugh was 25-13 his last three years.
Willingham was 22-13 his last three years.
Willingham was 19-15 his first three years, but that percentage is a shade lower than 22-17.
Christiansen had a three year stretch he was 18-12, though only the last of those three years was after I was born.

Ralston was before my time.  So officially, aside from any of Shaw’s three year stretches before his last three years, there have only been two three year stretches where a single coach has had a better three year record than the worst three years under Shaw in my lifetime.

BC

If you want to pick a coach's worst year and throw it in a three year stretch there are a lot of coaches you can make look bad. Brian Kelly was 22-16 between 2014-2016. He is ranked #10.