[Goose]

Can't find the ND presser online, but, like Terry, I would expect Shaw to wait until after the ND game to talk about changes to his staff. If he's not going to fire anyone this week, why talk about it before the final game?

I don't think Shaw is going to "fire" anyone. You may see some staff depart for various personal reasons, new jobs etc. See Whittingham's handling of the Troy Taylor situation at Utah.

Here's the rub:  So Shaw says goodbye to some staffers. What then? How clean does that broom sweep: You think he will shape-shift into something he has shown absolutely no inclination to ever be, e.g., relinquishment of all offensive control, make underlings feel slightly uncomfortable, a la Walsh and Belichick? Don't get me wrong. I hope to hell this is precisely what he does, because there is NO OTHER WAY. Still, I have that sinking feeling.

Certainly there are other ways. Your management style apparently requires your subordinates feel slightly uncomfortable. Another way is to hire guys that are so good you CAN'T make them feel uncomfortable. Another way is to hire smart guys that you make comfortable enough that they can work together to "fix" what needs fixing. Do you think Walsh ever relinquished offensive control? Not while he was alive. There are many paths that work, depending on the situation. Not all of them involve slash and burn.

I do think that Shaw, like many leaders, often tends to hire people that are very much like himself. He is a guy with lots of professional experience. When he slipped and said "Its not my job to motivate players.", I think he expressed his preference. He is a self-motivating guy and expects others to be likewise. Unfortunately, college sports aren't like that.
I also expect getting good coaches to work at Stanford is real, real hard, and getting harder by the day. It isn't just, or even mostly, the high cost of living. It is dealing with the fact you can't recruit from anything like the same pool other colleges do. Why take a job that ties your hands unless 1) you really want to teach "student athletes" and succeed under those terms, or 2) you think you can make a short-term splash and leave within 2 years. Nobody is going to come here hoping to get the head coaching job eventually. It just isn't that desirable position. It might pay a lot of money, but it can also be a career killer. Shaw is going to have to hire from the small pool available, and that may not get us what we need.

[Goose]

Can't find the ND presser online, but, like Terry, I would expect Shaw to wait until after the ND game to talk about changes to his staff. If he's not going to fire anyone this week, why talk about it before the final game?

I don't think Shaw is going to "fire" anyone. You may see some staff depart for various personal reasons, new jobs etc. See Whittingham's handling of the Troy Taylor situation at Utah.

Here's the rub:  So Shaw says goodbye to some staffers. What then? How clean does that broom sweep: You think he will shape-shift into something he has shown absolutely no inclination to ever be, e.g., relinquishment of all offensive control, make underlings feel slightly uncomfortable, a la Walsh and Belichick? Don't get me wrong. I hope to hell this is precisely what he does, because there is NO OTHER WAY. Still, I have that sinking feeling.

Certainly there are other ways. Your management style apparently requires your subordinates feel slightly uncomfortable. Another way is to hire guys that are so good you CAN'T make them feel uncomfortable. Another way is to hire smart guys that you make comfortable enough that they can work together to "fix" what needs fixing. Do you think Walsh ever relinquished offensive control? Not while he was alive. There are many paths that work, depending on the situation. Not all of them involve slash and burn.

I do think that Shaw, like many leaders, often tends to hire people that are very much like himself. He is a guy with lots of professional experience. When he slipped and said "Its not my job to motivate players.", I think he expressed his preference. He is a self-motivating guy and expects others to be likewise. Unfortunately, college sports aren't like that.
I also expect getting good coaches to work at Stanford is real, real hard, and getting harder by the day. It isn't just, or even mostly, the high cost of living. It is dealing with the fact you can't recruit from anything like the same pool other colleges do. Why take a job that ties your hands unless 1) you really want to teach "student athletes" and succeed under those terms, or 2) you think you can make a short-term splash and leave within 2 years. Nobody is going to come here hoping to get the head coaching job eventually. It just isn't that desirable position. It might pay a lot of money, but it can also be a career killer. Shaw is going to have to hire from the small pool available, and that may not get us what we need.