[Oasis]

It's been hard, but I've managed to not get too entangled by the two dominant opposing narratives about David Shaw. 

#1 narrative:  Shaw is just the inheritor of something built by the real talented guy: Jim Harbaugh.  When Harbaugh left he took all the real coaching talent with him.  Harbaugh didn't take Shaw because Shaw's not a mover and a shaker,  just more of a staff guy who has legacy connections w/ Stanford and is therefor acceptable.

#2  David Shaw has already shown he's not just a flash in the pan.  He's the real deal and 2 seasons and two bowl games have proven it.

I think I'll just not go all-in on Shaw for a while longer.  Shaw has done very well, but he hasn't had to face what most new coaches have to: rebuild a program in decline...or in ashes.  Shaw's challenge is to not crash the bus that's already on the high road.  A couple more seasons are needed for me to completely buy in that a really great person and great Stanford success story is also a consistently great (and sometimes lucky) coach in the college football hierarchy.  Meanwhile...glad he got the new contract and it helps him focus without distractions or material reasons to be looking elsewhere.

I think you have to lean toward narrative number two.  If what I read is accurate, Shaw is recruiting well so that the program need never go back to ashes.  Depending on how you look at it, Shaw showed remarkable flexibility of mind in moving Hogan to starter.  (You can also argue he didn't do it soon enough.)  But whoever we have as head coach can always be bought off with NFL millions.  If Shaw has two more 11-2 or so seasons that will probably happen with him too. From a personal standpoint it's hard to turn down that kind of guaranteed major wealth for life, even if you fail.  Given that, I think Shaw is about as stable a coach as we could expect to have.  And he seems to be a good one.

[Oasis]

It's been hard, but I've managed to not get too entangled by the two dominant opposing narratives about David Shaw. 

#1 narrative:  Shaw is just the inheritor of something built by the real talented guy: Jim Harbaugh.  When Harbaugh left he took all the real coaching talent with him.  Harbaugh didn't take Shaw because Shaw's not a mover and a shaker,  just more of a staff guy who has legacy connections w/ Stanford and is therefor acceptable.

#2  David Shaw has already shown he's not just a flash in the pan.  He's the real deal and 2 seasons and two bowl games have proven it.

I think I'll just not go all-in on Shaw for a while longer.  Shaw has done very well, but he hasn't had to face what most new coaches have to: rebuild a program in decline...or in ashes.  Shaw's challenge is to not crash the bus that's already on the high road.  A couple more seasons are needed for me to completely buy in that a really great person and great Stanford success story is also a consistently great (and sometimes lucky) coach in the college football hierarchy.  Meanwhile...glad he got the new contract and it helps him focus without distractions or material reasons to be looking elsewhere.

I think you have to lean toward narrative number two.  If what I read is accurate, Shaw is recruiting well so that the program need never go back to ashes.  Depending on how you look at it, Shaw showed remarkable flexibility of mind in moving Hogan to starter.  (You can also argue he didn't do it soon enough.)  But whoever we have as head coach can always be bought off with NFL millions.  If Shaw has two more 11-2 or so seasons that will probably happen with him too. From a personal standpoint it's hard to turn down that kind of guaranteed major wealth for life, even if you fail.  Given that, I think Shaw is about as stable a coach as we could expect to have.  And he seems to be a good one.