[BillBradley]

I think there's far more to this than any of us really know. I would venture a guess that risk management is a big factor in his comp. In other sports, unethical behavior, cheating, etc. will slightly dent the Stanford reputation. Muir won't lose his job if the fencing coach does something stupid. If the Stanford head football coach does something stupid, it puts the university alongside the USC's of the world. What's the cost of tarnishing the Stanford reputation? Likely many times $8M. Shaw is a perfect fit. He's won 70+% of his games, is well spoken, professional, politically correct, and squeaky clean. Muir and his higher-ups can sleep well at night knowing Shaw is at the helm. They will pay dearly to keep him. I agree - from the fan/alum point of view it's egregious, but from the administration point of view it's probably money well spent.

[BillBradley]

I think there's far more to this than any of us really know. I would venture a guess that risk management is a big factor in his comp. In other sports, unethical behavior, cheating, etc. will slightly dent the Stanford reputation. Muir won't lose his job if the fencing coach does something stupid. If the Stanford head football coach does something stupid, it puts the university alongside the USC's of the world. What's the cost of tarnishing the Stanford reputation? Likely many times $8M. Shaw is a perfect fit. He's won 70+% of his games, is well spoken, professional, politically correct, and squeaky clean. Muir and his higher-ups can sleep well at night knowing Shaw is at the helm. They will pay dearly to keep him. I agree - from the fan/alum point of view it's egregious, but from the administration point of view it's probably money well spent.