[81alum]

Shaw has certain advantages in recruiting that Harbaugh and even Walsh lacked.  Shaw is an alum of our university and of our football program.  He is also now one of the most successful African-American head coaches in history. 

http://www.afro.com/black-head-coaches-c...-frontier/

Stanford's rise to the top could only happen with a head coach who used Stanford's academic reputation as a positive recruiting tool rather than as a barrier to overcome.  David Shaw, by his own personal example, is in a far better position to exemplify the merits of Stanford's emphasis on the "student athlete."  As much as I loved Harbaugh and Walsh, and as much as they had the right values--they were never in a position to personally exemplify the advantages of a Stanford education.  Nor were Tyrone nor Denny Green--both from the Midwest.

Furthermore, the fact that Shaw is an African American lends credibility to the "student athlete" message when he speaks to African American students and parents.  It is also a constant reminder that Stanford has made a much stronger effort to diversify its coaching staff than many other schools--at a time when 52% of college players are African American, and 8% of head coaches are African American, Stanford has had three African American head coaches in the last generation.  But Ty and Denny had not personally navigated through Stanford as undergraduates, and so their praise of Stanford's academics was learned and not lived.

In short, I cannot imagine, any more, a more ideal fit of a head coach to an institution than David Shaw to Stanford.  I hope we keep him for decades.  When I bumped into him while he was picking up take-out food the other day, he had his two young sons in tow--one in soccer gear coming from practice.  My guess is that this consummate family man (and soccer-Dad!) will be here as long as he is raising his family.  I hope so.

[81alum]

Shaw has certain advantages in recruiting that Harbaugh and even Walsh lacked.  Shaw is an alum of our university and of our football program.  He is also now one of the most successful African-American head coaches in history. 

http://www.afro.com/black-head-coaches-c...-frontier/

Stanford's rise to the top could only happen with a head coach who used Stanford's academic reputation as a positive recruiting tool rather than as a barrier to overcome.  David Shaw, by his own personal example, is in a far better position to exemplify the merits of Stanford's emphasis on the "student athlete."  As much as I loved Harbaugh and Walsh, and as much as they had the right values--they were never in a position to personally exemplify the advantages of a Stanford education.  Nor were Tyrone nor Denny Green--both from the Midwest.

Furthermore, the fact that Shaw is an African American lends credibility to the "student athlete" message when he speaks to African American students and parents.  It is also a constant reminder that Stanford has made a much stronger effort to diversify its coaching staff than many other schools--at a time when 52% of college players are African American, and 8% of head coaches are African American, Stanford has had three African American head coaches in the last generation.  But Ty and Denny had not personally navigated through Stanford as undergraduates, and so their praise of Stanford's academics was learned and not lived.

In short, I cannot imagine, any more, a more ideal fit of a head coach to an institution than David Shaw to Stanford.  I hope we keep him for decades.  When I bumped into him while he was picking up take-out food the other day, he had his two young sons in tow--one in soccer gear coming from practice.  My guess is that this consummate family man (and soccer-Dad!) will be here as long as he is raising his family.  I hope so.