[Goose]

Bottom line: Stanford isn’t Alabama, but it’s the only place where a coach can win 10 games, graduate 100 % of his players, and still get invited to moderate Davos panels. The job sells itself to the right ambitious, cerebral winner.

Unfortunately I doubt that any of the "big names" on the list meet that description. Stanford isn't a place that even in our "good" streaks contended year after year for a national championship. If that is your goal as a head coach, Stanford might be a nice step along the way but it isn't a "good" final landing spot for coaches with such ambition. That is OK from Stanford's point of view. However, I doubt that rebuilding a program that has significant institutional constraints and is a "stepping stone" job is attractive to most coaches. We need to find the one who wants to and can do the job, basically the next JH. When he got the job almost everybody regarded it as a bold move. Coming from success at University of San Diego as the only reference point was not reassuring. It worked out, but IMO replicating that would be difficult.

[Goose]

Bottom line: Stanford isn’t Alabama, but it’s the only place where a coach can win 10 games, graduate 100 % of his players, and still get invited to moderate Davos panels. The job sells itself to the right ambitious, cerebral winner.

Unfortunately I doubt that any of the "big names" on the list meet that description. Stanford isn't a place that even in our "good" streaks contended year after year for a national championship. If that is your goal as a head coach, Stanford might be a nice step along the way but it isn't a "good" final landing spot for coaches with such ambition. That is OK from Stanford's point of view. However, I doubt that rebuilding a program that has significant institutional constraints and is a "stepping stone" job is attractive to most coaches. We need to find the one who wants to and can do the job, basically the next JH. When he got the job almost everybody regarded it as a bold move. Coming from success at University of San Diego as the only reference point was not reassuring. It worked out, but IMO replicating that would be difficult.