Las Vegas Raiders interested in former Stanford head coach for head coach opening

The Las Vegas Raiders could potentially go back to their Northern California roots as the downtrodden organization looks for a full-time head coach to replace the recently-fired Josh McDaniels.

It would also be a blast from the past. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, former Stanford head coach David Shaw is a name to watch for the opening.

While interim head coach Antonio Pierce still has an opportunity to land the full-time gig, other names are being linked to the potential opening.

Shaw, 51, sees his name come completely out of left field.

He served as the Raiders’ offensive quality control coach from 1999-2000 before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2001.

Shaw would ultimately follow Jim Harbaugh to college with San Diego in 2006 and Stanford as their offensive coordinator from 2007-2010. Once Harbaugh departed to become the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach in 2011, Shaw took over as the Cardinal head coach.

We’ve heard Shaw’s name bandied about as a potential NFL head coach candidate in the past. After all, he did enjoy a nice amount of success as Stanford’s head coach from 2011-2022.

• David Shaw record (with Stanford): 96-54, 8 bowl appearances, five wins

Over the course of his first six seasons in Palo Alto, Shaw posted a combined 64-17 record with two Rose Bowl wins. He was a mere 32-37 after that.

David Shaw as a fit for the Las Vegas Raiders

It’s not a secret that Raiders owner Mark Davis values the organization’s history. It’s one of the primary factors that led to him hiring Jon Gruden for a second stint ahead of the 2020 season. While that ended in disastrous fashion, it is not stopping the embattled Davis from going back to the drawing board.

 

Though, it’s interesting that Shaw’s name is now being bandied about. Vegas has been linked to the aforementioned Harbaugh more since Davis opted to fire McDaniels. Remember, Harbaugh was a candidate for the opening before McDaniels was hired in the first place ahead of last season.

As for Shaw, he spent this past season out of football after resigning from his role as Stanford’s head coach following the 2022 season.

Most of what happens as it relates to the Raiders’ search for a head coach will be dependent on what happens moving forward on the season. Pierce is 2-2 as their interim coach since replacing McDaniels. The team currently sits at 4-7 and two games out of the final playoff spot in the AFC after two consecutive losses.

Whether Shaw becomes a real candidate for the opening remains to be seen. But it’s interesting to hear his name pop up given Davis’ history as the Raiders owner since his father’s death back in 2011.