[McKenwood]

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.

Good point about the risk management. Part of this may be Muir is terrified of having to replace Shaw with someone who checks the boxes you mention. Shaw certainly has not developed an obvious successor. Muir may feel it is better to overpay than have to find Shaw's replacement. MBB, another high profile sport, has been tough for Muir to figure out even though he is supposed to be a basketball guy. Football may even be more daunting to him.

[McKenwood]

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.

Good point about the risk management. Part of this may be Muir is terrified of having to replace Shaw with someone who checks the boxes you mention. Shaw certainly has not developed an obvious successor. Muir may feel it is better to overpay than have to find Shaw's replacement. MBB, another high profile sport, has been tough for Muir to figure out even though he is supposed to be a basketball guy. Football may even be more daunting to him.