Coaching candidates that Stanford should pursue after David Shaw stepped down

Stanford's winningest coach of all time has stepped down and left huge shoes to fill

An era that some Stanford fans likely imagined would never come due to his great success with the program, head coach David Shaw announced after Saturday's loss to BYU that he is stepping down as the head coach. 

Shaw explained to the media that he felt like his time being the head coach was up and he was okay with that saying:

"I prayed about it, I thought about it," Shaw said. "With every hour it seemed, it was more cemented in my head. The phrase that kept coming to me is: 'It's time.'"

With his departure, it means it is now time for Stanford to look elsewhere to find their new head coach. I am of the mindset that the program needs a complete rebuild despite their being a belief that someone like a Tavita Pritchard will get the nod. Replacing Shaw will be no easy task as the 50-year old steps down as the winningest head coach in Stanford history with 96 career victories, and took the program to highs it had never experienced. 

The market for coaches is still quite bountiful despite vacancies such as both Arizona State and Nebraska being filled, and Auburn expected to be filled any day now. 

I think the Stanford job is much more appealing than people realize, as the program has just now began working on NIL collectives and a strategy to better use the transfer portal. This shows candidates that they are wanting to continue to invest in football and advance with the sport, something that David Shaw maybe wasn't as open to. With USC and UCLA departing for the Big Ten, the conference also is up for grabs in terms of who is the "face" or "premier program" and while Stanford hasn't been anywhere near that the past four years, they can be. 

As we all know, Stanford offers world class academics in the great state of California, and is home to the most successful athletic department of all time. That has to be appealing to many people out there, it is just up to the powers at be to make the right decision to replace Shaw. 

A choice that will not be easy, but needs to happen sooner rather than later with the transfer portal window opening on December 5 and early signing day around the corner as well. 

I'm not sure what direction the school is going whether they want to try and find a Stanford alum, an experienced coach, or a young gun coach but I have a perfect mixture of candidates that they should consider. Here are five coaches that Stanford should purse to replace David Shaw.

Bill O'Brien, Alabama OC

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Bill O'Brien has coached at both the NFL and college level over the years, and had some success at Penn State as the head coach. He was appointed the head coach in 2012 after the Sandusky scandal, which saw the program essentially get a death penalty. Many didn't expect Penn State to be competitive for at least a decade, but in two seasons at the helm O'Brien went 15–9, and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and was also awarded the Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year Award and named national coach of the year by ESPN.

In two seasons in Happy Valley, O'Brien coached 26 All-Big Ten players, including nine first-team selections. He left for the NFL after issues with administration not supporting the program and following through on promises to increase the budget for recruiting, staffing, and facilities. Many people think of his time as the Texans coach and view it as a failure, but I have two points on that. For starters, he led the franchise to three winning seasons for the first time ever. What led to his demise was when he was appointed as the general manager along with being the head coach. 

He is now the offensive coordinator at Alabama where he along with the program are receiving a ton of criticism for having a "down" year at 10-2. In his defense, the team does not have the caliber of weapons fans are used to and it hinders what can be called on offense. Even despite the outside noise, Alabama ranks No. 17 in total offense, and O'Brien surely is primed for a head coaching job. 

Chris Petersen, Former Washington HC

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Does he want to get back into the coaching game? I honestly don't know. However, if I am Stanford I am calling him ASAP. He has had success at every program he has been at, compiling a 147-38 record during his time spent at Boise State and Washington. He was the man behind the Broncos' success in those early years that saw them knock off Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, with finishes as high as No. 4 and No. 5 in the country. 

After his amazing stint at Boise State that established the program as one of, if not the best Group of 5 programs, he found success in the Pac-12 at Washington. His worst record was a 7-6 season in his second year, which he then followed up with three 10-win seasons that included two Pac-12 Championships and a College Football Playoff appearance. As someone who understands the Pac-12 footprint and has had success here, it would be a mistake not to consider him. 

Tom Herman, Former Texas HC

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Many view Tom Herman as a failure after his stint at Texas, but it was more so the fact that he wasn't able to live up to the sky high standards in the time frame the program had in mind. Texas has long been pressing to be "back" and when they felt Herman wasn't going to get them there despite going 32-16 and 4-0 in bowl games, they moved on. It also didn't help his case that he was there for the peak of Oklahoma football in this decade. 

Prior to his time at Texas and Houston, he was named the Broyles Award winner in 2014 as the nation's top assistant, after helping Ohio State win a national title. His first year at Houston saw Herman win the AAC Coach of the Year and FWAA First-Year Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading Houston to a 13-1 record and No. 8 ranking nationally. Something that also hurt Herman aside from not being able to surpass the hump from good to great at Texas was when he allowed the players to decide whether or not they wanted to participate in singing the school's fight song "The Eyes of Texas" which was believed to have racist undertones. The locker room was split, and essentially made the boosters think he lost control. 

Herman is an elite recruiter as he had multiple top-3 classes at Texas, but things such as injuries and lack of development hurt those classes. The Urban Meyer disciple is a great offensive mind, and he surely learned a lot from his time spent on the 40-acres. 

Garrett Riley, TCU OC

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So apparently the entire Riley family are offensive masterminds. Why not just have the Riley's expand West? While Lincoln is down in Los Angeles thriving and has USC in playoff contention, his younger brother is at TCU with the Horned Frogs squarely in the playoffs. TCU's offense ranks No. 10 in the country in total offense, and it isn't even with guys that they recruited. He had success at SMU as their offensive coordinator and followed Sonny Dykes to TCU, where the Horned Frogs currently are 12-0. 

The part that is likely hurting Riley's chances are his young age, as he is just 33-years old. That shouldn't deter programs like Stanford because it is evident he knows how to make offensive art, but it might. His brother got his start at 34, but it was due to Bob Stoops handing him the program, because he felt comfortable doing so. I'm not sure if Stanford will take that chance on an outsider. He would need an experienced staff to help him out, but nothing attracts recruits like a dynamic offense. I also think going young can give the program a new sense of direction all together, and rejuvenate it.   

Troy Taylor, Sacramento State HC

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One of the hottest name at the FCS level right now, Sacramento State's Troy Taylor will be a Power 5 coach eventually. Whether it will be at Stanford, I am not sure. Especially since he is a Cal grad himself. I know he said that he wants to stay at Sacramento, but if a Pac-12 head coaching job comes knocking it would be shocking if he turned it down.

His body of work is impressive as he and the hornets are the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs, thanks to their 11-0 record. His offensive mind is always one worth noting as the Hornets rank No. 6 in the FCS in total offense and are constantly dialing up unique looks. Again, this all comes down to what kind of coach the administration wants but there is a viable option in the state's capital. 

Deion Sanders, Jackson State HC

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If Stanford can sway Deion Sanders to come to Palo Alto, this program will quickly turn around and be contending in no time. Sanders has revived Jackson State, leading the Tigers to a  22-2 record over the past two seasons, including 16-0 in conference play with a trip to the Celebration Bowl last season. Prior to his arrival, Jackson State had not won a conference championship since 2007 and he is on track to do it again. 

Some may not think he would take the job, but there are currently rumors linking him to Colorado or USF, and Stanford would be a step above either of those programs. He has had major success recruiting players to Jackson State located in Mississippi, even landing the No. 1 player in the country in Travis Hunter, and also has success in the transfer portal something Stanford badly needs. There is also a thought that if you get Deion you will get his son Shedeur who held offers from Alabama, Florida State, UCLA, and Ivy Cornell among many others. He has been a star at quarterback throwing for more than 6,000 yards and 62 touchdowns over the past two seasons. This would be the splashiest hire of them all, but Stanford will really need to sell themselves and do it quickly before Sanders ends up on the sideline of a Pac-12 foe. 

 

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