[Mick]

Right now, if I had to guess, my sense is that the program will continue to struggle and in a few years he'll retire.

He's not going to get "a few years" if he doesn't make changes.

I hope you're right. Of course, we all know that Muir is a wet noodle. But, with a few consecutive losing seasons, maybe he'd ask Shaw nicely.

Money talks. When more people stop buying tickets Muir will pay more attention.

Hope so.  Or maybe they can cut some more minor sports...

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When I see safties who can't tackle, linemen with no push, corners beaten, the biggest defensive problems are lack of speed and talent. Some of these guys aren't on Toby Norwood level. Other guys who have had rave practice reviews are hurt every year. Thus nothing proven. I think there is talent promise on the offensive line and third down running back ability but no horse since McCaffrey. No Taylor, no Gaffney, no Toby.  There is some talent on the outside but the O goes to jump balls when close and none of the tall guys have JJ's ability. The TE recruiting has been poor lately and that's a big loss in the Shaw scheme.

And what we get are post game comments after a loss blaming players for poor execution.

I suppose, technically speaking, that is true.  The players are executing poorly.  Of course, he doesn't mentioned that the players were recruited and trained by Shaw and his staff, that Shaw and his staff were responsible for their direction, training, physical preparation, etc.  So...yes, I agree, they didn't execute.  And it's your fault, Coach Shaw.

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* This includes hiring talented coordinators and letting them do their jobs. Every good manager knows the key to success is hiring people more talented than you and empowering them to do the work.  The thing is, the manager always gets the credit when those working under them are the ones responsible for the impressive results. Bad managers are too insecure to understand this and become micromanagers because they can't handle others being more capable or demonstrating their own work isn't as good. 

Davis Shaw is a tremendous figure head for Stanford Football. He has the potential to be a great Head Coach if he would just let go and let more talented coordinators do their thing. Maybe if he wasn't micromanaging the offense, he might turn into a better game manager too.

+1. I recall reading a book as a child where a king leads all manner of highly capable and interesting creatures in pursuit of a goal, all of them magnificent, and he's just an ordinary man.  On the last page, two observers are speaking and one says "I don't understand.  All those great deeds were done by the king's team.  What did the king do?" And the other individual replied "he did the only thing a king can do.  He led them."

I have eight direct reports.  Seven of them are considerably better than me at their respective duties. I wouldn't have hired them otherwise.  The eighth is my problem child.  Talented, but underachieving.  Like Coach Shaw.

[Mick]

Right now, if I had to guess, my sense is that the program will continue to struggle and in a few years he'll retire.

He's not going to get "a few years" if he doesn't make changes.

I hope you're right. Of course, we all know that Muir is a wet noodle. But, with a few consecutive losing seasons, maybe he'd ask Shaw nicely.

Money talks. When more people stop buying tickets Muir will pay more attention.

Hope so.  Or maybe they can cut some more minor sports...

---

When I see safties who can't tackle, linemen with no push, corners beaten, the biggest defensive problems are lack of speed and talent. Some of these guys aren't on Toby Norwood level. Other guys who have had rave practice reviews are hurt every year. Thus nothing proven. I think there is talent promise on the offensive line and third down running back ability but no horse since McCaffrey. No Taylor, no Gaffney, no Toby.  There is some talent on the outside but the O goes to jump balls when close and none of the tall guys have JJ's ability. The TE recruiting has been poor lately and that's a big loss in the Shaw scheme.

And what we get are post game comments after a loss blaming players for poor execution.

I suppose, technically speaking, that is true.  The players are executing poorly.  Of course, he doesn't mentioned that the players were recruited and trained by Shaw and his staff, that Shaw and his staff were responsible for their direction, training, physical preparation, etc.  So...yes, I agree, they didn't execute.  And it's your fault, Coach Shaw.

---

* This includes hiring talented coordinators and letting them do their jobs. Every good manager knows the key to success is hiring people more talented than you and empowering them to do the work.  The thing is, the manager always gets the credit when those working under them are the ones responsible for the impressive results. Bad managers are too insecure to understand this and become micromanagers because they can't handle others being more capable or demonstrating their own work isn't as good. 

Davis Shaw is a tremendous figure head for Stanford Football. He has the potential to be a great Head Coach if he would just let go and let more talented coordinators do their thing. Maybe if he wasn't micromanaging the offense, he might turn into a better game manager too.

+1. I recall reading a book as a child where a king leads all manner of highly capable and interesting creatures in pursuit of a goal, all of them magnificent, and he's just an ordinary man.  On the last page, two observers are speaking and one says "I don't understand.  All those great deeds were done by the king's team.  What did the king do?" And the other individual replied "he did the only thing a king can do.  He led them."

I have eight direct reports.  Seven of them are considerably better than me at their respective duties. I wouldn't have hired them otherwise.  The eighth is my problem child.  Talented, but underachieving.  Like Coach Shaw.