It’s easy to identify the coaches who are in danger of being fired. It’s hard to compile a comprehensive dance card of possible replacements.
And with the NFL hiring pendulum swinging toward college coaches, one more candidate apparently won’t be available in 2013.
Via Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Stanford has announced that head coach David Shaw has signed a long-term extension. The concept of a long-term deal for a college coach often is nebulous, especially since any head coach who wants to leave a college program often does. That said, Kawakami believes that Shaw likely will be staying for a while.
Indeed, it would be awkward to say the least for Shaw to leave in the aftermath of signing an extension. Still, as Stanford continues to thrive, Shaw will eventually have plenty of opportunities to follow former Stanford coaches like Bill Walsh, Dennis Green, and Jim Harbaugh to the NFL.