When news broke on Wednesday evening that the Denver Broncos interviewed ex-Stanford coach David Shaw for their head coach opening, fans and pundits quickly pointed out on Twitter that Shaw has a connection to fellow coach candidate Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh was named the University of San Diego’s head coach in 2004. Two years later, he hired Shaw as an assistant coach. When Harbaugh was later named Stanford’s head coach in 2007, he brought Shaw with him as an offensive coordinator and position coach.
Shaw remained with Stanford for the next four years as an assistant under Harbaugh. When the latter left to coach the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, Shaw was promoted to head coach at Stanford.
Shaw remained with the Cardinal from 2011-2022, winning five bowl games while posting a 96-54 record as head coach before stepping down last November.
Shaw is likely being considered as a potential head coach by Denver’s ownership group, but his connection to Harbaugh has led to speculation that he might also be a candidate to join the team as an offensive coordinator. The dots are worth connecting, and it wouldn’t be the first time such a scenario has happened.
In 2019, the Broncos narrowed their head coach search down to a pair of finalists: Vic Fangio and Mike Munchak. The team ultimately ended up hiring Fangio, and he then hired Munchak as his offensive line coach.
If Denver needs up hiring Harbaugh as its next head coach, Shaw will likely be a top candidate to watch as a potential offensive coordinator.
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