[Snorlax94]

So by your metrics Harbaugh has a B- average and Shaw has a B+.That's just laughable. Put down the weed.

Harbs might be B/B- (mainly because of his bad results against rivals OSU/MSU) but there's no way in hell Shaw is that good. If Shaw were anything better than a C there wouldn't be so much angst.

What is most important depends on your situation, not a coach's average grade. When Harbaugh was hired, Stanford was a mess. Facilities was an issue, culture was an issue, the admissions process was an issue. So, at that time, the absolute most important thing was to bring in a maniacal program builder, and Harbaugh is an A+ in that. Under those circumstances, with those needs, probably no one was a better hire than Harbaugh.

It is not about what your average grade is. It is about finding the right person at that time.

When Harbaugh left, what the program needed was continuity (to keep its players and to keep its recruiting going). It needed an exceptional student of the game, with someone with great ideas. A lot of the institutional issues had been addressed so getting a program driver wasn't as important at that moment. And after Harbaugh, they probably wanted someone who was a better fit with the university's vision, so Shaw was the perfect person for those needs.

The program has deteriorated in the last 3-6 years, and it feels like there isn't a strong enough champion for getting the team what it needs (getting the right people to keep players healthy and stronger, for one), for being a bit tougher in hiring and firing to get the right staff (to get a running game, to recruit and develop an actual defensive line), and for having the ideas to keep our opponents off balance (being an innovator). I was a bit shocked to see Shaw got 8.9 million in 2019 and I can't help thinking if more of the funds should be going to hiring the right assistants. Do we have such a weak running game because we spend too little on our offensive coordinator (who is a newby) and offensive line coach (where we lost the last one to the NFL)? Are the faraway games (like UCF, or playing Rice in Australia, or playing all Power 5 opponents) getting players less practice and more injured, all for revenues to pay one of the highest salaries for a head coach? If this is the case, I actually would blame Muir more for our current predicament.

Seeing the Nick Rolovich drama unfold, it's clear that getting someone who is consistent with Stanford's values is more important than ever. Harbaugh's maniacal style wears thin so I don't think he could motivate at Stanford like he used to, he already jumped ship once so he lacks credibility to recruit as well (except at Michigan, because it's his alma mater), and he is not an X's and O's guy so he's not gonna solve Stanford's inability to keep opponents off balance. Also, if he had such continuing great ideas to find perfect coaches and coordinators, you'd think he'd have done better at Michigan over all these years.

But just because Harbaugh isn't the guy to solve Stanford's problems in 2021, doesn't mean Shaw is necessarily the right guy for Stanford's needs in 2021-, either. When people say "they have no hope," that statement connects with me to the degree that I feel like Stanford has problems, and it doesn't feel like it's acknowledging those problems. If Shaw doesn't feel like there are any problems, how can he fix them? It is also possible that Shaw has been advocating like crazy internally but just won't air the dirty laundry to the press. But you'd think we would've heard something if that were the case.

[Snorlax94]

So by your metrics Harbaugh has a B- average and Shaw has a B+.That's just laughable. Put down the weed.

Harbs might be B/B- (mainly because of his bad results against rivals OSU/MSU) but there's no way in hell Shaw is that good. If Shaw were anything better than a C there wouldn't be so much angst.

What is most important depends on your situation, not a coach's average grade. When Harbaugh was hired, Stanford was a mess. Facilities was an issue, culture was an issue, the admissions process was an issue. So, at that time, the absolute most important thing was to bring in a maniacal program builder, and Harbaugh is an A+ in that. Under those circumstances, with those needs, probably no one was a better hire than Harbaugh.

It is not about what your average grade is. It is about finding the right person at that time.

When Harbaugh left, what the program needed was continuity (to keep its players and to keep its recruiting going). It needed an exceptional student of the game, with someone with great ideas. A lot of the institutional issues had been addressed so getting a program driver wasn't as important at that moment. And after Harbaugh, they probably wanted someone who was a better fit with the university's vision, so Shaw was the perfect person for those needs.

The program has deteriorated in the last 3-6 years, and it feels like there isn't a strong enough champion for getting the team what it needs (getting the right people to keep players healthy and stronger, for one), for being a bit tougher in hiring and firing to get the right staff (to get a running game, to recruit and develop an actual defensive line), and for having the ideas to keep our opponents off balance (being an innovator). I was a bit shocked to see Shaw got 8.9 million in 2019 and I can't help thinking if more of the funds should be going to hiring the right assistants. Do we have such a weak running game because we spend too little on our offensive coordinator (who is a newby) and offensive line coach (where we lost the last one to the NFL)? Are the faraway games (like UCF, or playing Rice in Australia, or playing all Power 5 opponents) getting players less practice and more injured, all for revenues to pay one of the highest salaries for a head coach? If this is the case, I actually would blame Muir more for our current predicament.

Seeing the Nick Rolovich drama unfold, it's clear that getting someone who is consistent with Stanford's values is more important than ever. Harbaugh's maniacal style wears thin so I don't think he could motivate at Stanford like he used to, he already jumped ship once so he lacks credibility to recruit as well (except at Michigan, because it's his alma mater), and he is not an X's and O's guy so he's not gonna solve Stanford's inability to keep opponents off balance. Also, if he had such continuing great ideas to find perfect coaches and coordinators, you'd think he'd have done better at Michigan over all these years.

But just because Harbaugh isn't the guy to solve Stanford's problems in 2021, doesn't mean Shaw is necessarily the right guy for Stanford's needs in 2021-, either. When people say "they have no hope," that statement connects with me to the degree that I feel like Stanford has problems, and it doesn't feel like it's acknowledging those problems. If Shaw doesn't feel like there are any problems, how can he fix them? It is also possible that Shaw has been advocating like crazy internally but just won't air the dirty laundry to the press. But you'd think we would've heard something if that were the case.