Notre Dame Football: Top 5 coaches Irish will face in 2018
By Chase Eyrich
No. 3 Stanford – David Shaw
Head coaching record
73-22
Accolades
2017 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year
2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year
This might be the first head coaching job Shaw has held, but he comes in with a variety of experience. Western Washington and San Diego are the only two other colleges that he has coached for. But, there was a decade of experience in between those two stints where Shaw spent time in the NFL.
Spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens, Shaw spent a lot of time focusing on the offensive side of the ball.
Leaving the league in favor of the college game once again, Shaw joined San Diego to be apart of Jim Harbaugh’s staff. When Harbaugh made the move to Stanford, it was a no-brainer that Shaw would return to his alma mater.
Stanford’s offense found much success under Shaw. As the offensive coordinator from 2007-2010, the Cardinal reached 40 or more points in 11 games. In 2010, he also took over for the running backs. The squad seemed to never slow down — even after the graduation of Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart.
Once Harbaugh left to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, it was Shaw’s team to run.
Behind a stellar defense and the talent of Andrew Luck, the Cardinal success did not falter. Stanford went 34-7 in Shaw’s first three seasons. Never having had a losing season, Shaw has recorded five double-digit win season with four bowl wins.
Three Pac-12 titles in the past five season matched with a pair of Rose Bowl wins in three appearances caps off the impressive resume for Shaw.