David Shaw steps down at Stanford after 12 seasons as winningest coach in program history

Stanford coach David Shaw resigned from his position effective immediately early Sunday morning. Soon after the Cardinal fell 35-26 to BYU at home to end the regular season, their athletic department announced Shaw’s departure after 12 years leading the program.

Shaw oversaw his least successful season at Stanford in 2022 as the Cardinal finished 3-9 overall for the second straight year and 1-8 in Pac-12 play, their worst performance against league opponents under his leadership.

After winning three Pac-12 championships and leading Stanford to eight straight winning seasons (five with 10+ wins), the 2017 national coach of the year and four-time Pac-12 coach of the year has since overseen a significant regression. The Cardinal are 14-28 (10-23 Pac-12) over the last four seasons with their lone winning mark coming during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. Stanford has not played in a bowl game since 2018 nor finished better than third in the Pac-12 North standings in that span.

“After many prayers and multiple discussions with my wife, one phrase keeps coming to me — it’s time,” Shaw said in a statement. “There are not sufficient words to describe the love and gratitude I feel for my family, all of my former and current players, my staff, this administration and the entire Stanford family. Thank you all.”

Shaw finishes 96-54 (65-38 Pac-12) at Stanford as the winningest coach in program history and ninth-winningest coach in Pac-12 history. The former Cardinal wide receiver (1991-94) returned to his alma mater as Jim Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator in 2007. When Harbaugh departed to coach the San Fransisco 49ers in 2011, Shaw was named his immediate replacement.

Stanford says it has begun a national coaching search for Shaw’s replacement with more information to come at a Monday press conference. 

“I would like to thank David for his immense contributions to Stanford,” said athletic director Bernard Muir. “David has represented Stanford football, as both a player and a coach, with unwavering grace, humility and integrity. He has cared tremendously for each and every student-athlete in his program while helping them pursue their full academic and athletic potential. David will forever remain a valued member of the Stanford football family and an integral part of the storied history of the program. I hope Cardinal fans everywhere will join me in thanking David and his family for their extraordinary years of service and wishing them all the best in their next chapter.”