Shaw Agrees “Long-Term” with Stanford

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

As it turns out, Stanford head coach David Shaw is not jumping ship for the NFL.

According to multiple sources, Shaw agreed to a “long-term extension” on Wednesday to keep him in red and white past the two years that were already left on his contract.

“I feel blessed to work every day with an outstanding staff and coach the best group of young men in America and I am excited to lead the Stanford football program for many years to come,” Shaw announced at a press conference.

Speculation surrounding Shaw’s move to the NFL started earlier this season, but new athletic director Bernard Muir assured that he would lock down the 40-year-old head coach to help stabilize their growing program.

“David Shaw has led the football program to great success,” said President John Hennessy. “He embodies the goal we have for our scholar-athletes–success in the classroom and on the field. WE are pleased that he will lead our football program for years to come.”

It was certainly a good idea to extend Shaw through a couple more seasons.

Since taking over for Jim Harbaugh, Shaw has won back-to-back Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. This season, he’s coached his way to an 11-2 record without Andrew Luck on the field and will be taking the Cardinals to their second-straight Rose Bowl appearance.

Before the season, Stanford had entered the season ranked 21st in the nation. With a few victories under his belt, he was forced to make a midseason quarterback change from Josh Nunes to redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan and it proved to be the right choice. Hogan led the Cardinals to victories over their Pac-12 rivals’ Oregon and UCLA to eventually climb to the No. 8 spot in college football.

Shaw, a former Stanford alum, has been an unexpected find for Stanford after Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL. And chances are he’ll remain a solid fit for the Cardinals in the few years that follow, especially with a rather young and talented team under his guise.

Look for the Cardinals to remain Pac-12 favorites in the next few years while also vying for the BCS title in 2013.