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David Shaw

Raiders Request DC Interview With Karl Scott; Bo Hardegree, David Shaw On Radar?

January 27th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Adam La Rose

Pete Carroll is set to return to the NFL coaching ranks with the Raiders. As the 73-year-old prepares to fill out his staff, a number of names worth monitoring have emerged.

Karl Scott was floated as a potential defensive coordinator candidate once the news of Carroll’s Vegas hire emerged. Scott serves as the Seahawks’ defensive passing game coordinator and he represents the last holdover from Carroll’s Seattle staffs. To no surprise, then, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports Scott has received a DC interview request from the Raiders.

Vegas has had Patrick Graham in place as defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, but with a new staff incoming it would come as no surprise if he were to depart in the near future. The 46-year-old is believed to be a leading candidate for the Jaguars’ DC gig, so he may have his next opportunity lined up soon. In any case, it will be interesting to see if Scott receives strong consideration to reunite with Carroll in Vegas.

The 39-year-old began his coaching career in 2007, making a number of stops at the college level. Scott spent three seasons working under Nick Saban at Alabama as the team’s defensive backs coach before receiving his first look in the NFL. The Vikings hired him to be their DBs coach for 2021, and he has held that same role with the Seahawks since 2022.

Making the jump to defensive coordinator would be a first for Scott, but given his familiarity with Carroll the Raiders’ gig could be a suitable one. Vegas finished ninth in points allowed in 2023, but this past season – one in which injuries along the edge in particular hindered the team – saw a regression to 25th in that department. Whether Scott or another candidate is hired, guiding that unit to a rebound will be a clear goal next season.

With respect to the offensive coordinator position, a separate Jones report notes Bo Hardegree is a name to watch. The Titans’ quarterbacks coach previously held that title with the Raiders; in 2023, he served as Vegas’ interim OC. A return to Sin City could be in order, especially since Hardegree (who interviewed with the Bears before they made their offensive coordinator hire) is still on the market.

Jones also writes that David Shaw could be on the Raiders’ radar. The longitme Stanford head coach has drawn HC interest around the NFL in recent years, and in 2024 he worked with the Broncos as a senior personnel executive. Shaw, 52, was also on the Bears’ interview list for their offensive coordinator gig. He, along with Scott and Hardegree, will be worth watching closely as Carroll weighs his staffing options.

2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

January 26th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, half the league changed up at offensive and defensive coordinator. As most HC-needy teams have now filled their open positions, the coordinator carousel will accelerate. Here is how the market looks now. When other teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-28-25 (11:04pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Chicago Bears (Out: Chris Beatty)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Ken Dorsey)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Brian Schottenheimer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Ben Johnson)

  • John Morton, pass-game coordinator (Broncos): Hired

Houston Texans (Out: Bobby Slowik)

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Klint Kubiak)

New York Jets (Out: Nathaniel Hackett)

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Ryan Grubb)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Liam Coen)

Defensive coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Jimmy Lake)

Chicago Bears (Out: Eric Washington)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Lou Anarumo)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Mike Zimmer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Aaron Glenn)

  • Larry Foote, inside linebackers coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach (Lions): Promoted

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Gus Bradley)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)

New England Patriots (Out: DeMarcus Covington)

  • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/21
  • Terrell Williams, defensive line coach (Lions): Hired

New York Jets (Out: Jeff Ulbrich)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Nick Sorensen)

Bears Interview David Shaw For OC Position; Ben Johnson To Call Offensive Plays

January 26th, 2025 at 10:41am CST by Rory Parks

The Bears have interviewed David Shaw for their vacant offensive coordinator position, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Shaw, who is best known for his time as Stanford’s head coach, presently works as a senior personnel executive with the Broncos.

Chicago recently landed one of the most coveted head coaching candidates in the past several cycles by prying former Lions OC Ben Johnson away from its division rival. To no surprise, Johnson will call the Bears’ offensive plays himself (as relayed by Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network), so whomever he taps as his first offensive coordinator will likely not be one of this year’s hottest OC candidates.

However, the 52-year-old Shaw has generated plenty of NFL head coaching interest in recent history. A former QB coach for the Raiders and QB/WR coach for the Ravens, Shaw joined the Stanford staff in 2007 and replaced Jim Harbaugh as the Cardinal head coach in 2011. Over his 12-year HC stint, he compiled a 96-54 overall record and three Rose Bowl titles, although the program took a nosedive towards the latter stages of his tenure, which precipitated his resignation after the 2022 season.

One of the attributes that contributed to his NFL head coaching candidacy – he in fact interviewed for Chicago’s HC post less than two weeks ago – is his work with a pro-style offense while at Stanford. That may have caught the attention of Johnson and the rest of the Bears’ brass, and Shaw’s head coaching interview clearly went well enough for the club to consider hiring him in a different capacity.

Johnson, meanwhile, indicated that the presence of quarterback Caleb Williams was one of the factors that convinced him to leave his comfortable position with the Lions and to accept the Bears’ HC post (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). Albert Breer of SI.com adds that Johnson would have been interested in the job at the end of the 2023 season had it been available (perhaps because he knew the Bears were in position to draft Williams).

As of the time of this writing, here is the current status of the Bears’ OC search, courtesy of our coordinator tracker:

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-28-25 (3:17pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Bears Request HC Interview With David Shaw

January 6th, 2025 at 9:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears were busy requesting HC interviews today, with a number of coordinators and former NFL head coaches garnering interest. The team is thinking a bit outside the box with their latest candidate, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization requested an interview with Broncos senior personnel executive David Shaw.

While Shaw most recently worked in an NFL front office, he’s no stranger to the sideline. Shaw spent more than a decade coaching at Stanford, including a 12-year stint as their head coach. He had a successful start to his head coaching career, guiding the Cardinal football team to six AP top-20 rankings through his first seven years at the helm. Stanford also made eight-straight bowl appearances, but the team struggled a bit during Shaw’s final seasons at the school.

Between 2019 and 2022, the team went only 14-28, including a 6-18 showing during his final two seasons. Following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign, Shaw resigned from his position. He resurfaced this past offseason when he joined the Broncos as a front office executive.

While Shaw made a name for himself in the college ranks, he also has coaching experience in the NFL. He had stints as QBs coach with both the Raiders and Ravens, and he also served as Baltimore’s wide receivers coach. Shaw has also been a mainstay in recent head coaching searches, interviewing for gigs with the Chargers, Titans, and Broncos over the past two years.

The list of candidates for the Bears head coaching job continues to grow. Just today, the team requested interviews with 10 candidates: Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, Giants OC Mike Kafka, Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, Ravens OC Todd Monken, Steelers OC Arthur Smith, Vikings DC Brian Flores, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

AFC Staff Rumors: Canada, Steelers, Shaw, Broncos, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans

June 26th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers opted for an outside OC hire, adding Arthur Smith, but both halves of their interim setup from last season — Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan — remain with the team. Sullivan drew OC interest elsewhere, after calling the plays for a Mason Rudolph-led offense that ended up in the playoffs, but he is in place as a Steelers senior offensive assistant. Faulkner remains the team’s RBs coach. Smith should be considered likely to include the duo in his game plans, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, who adds ousted OC Matt Canada was not known for a collaborative approach. Canada did not receive input from staffers especially well, Kaboly notes, before becoming the historically rare Steelers assistant fired in-season.

Here is the latest from AFC coaching staffs and front offices:

  • One of the Broncos‘ HC candidates in 2023, David Shaw is now in place to work remotely as a staffer under Sean Payton and George Paton. Shaw has coached with the former (on Ray Rhodes‘ 1997 Eagles staff) and began communicating with the GM more often since the January 2023 interview. Months after the longtime Stanford HC’s interview, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes he expressed an interest to Paton regarding work in NFL personnel. During the time between his Broncos connections, Shaw interviewed for the Chargers and Titans’ HC jobs. The Paton conversations, with likely help from the Stanford ties owners Greg Penner and Condoleezza Rice have, led to the longtime Stanford coach landing with the AFC West franchise.
  • Elsewhere on the Broncos’ staff, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton notes Ty Murphy has moved from scouting intern to pro scout. Murphy initially caught on with the team in July 2023.
  • Four years ago, the Chargers were new on the analytics front. They hired Aditya Krishnan to lead that department in February 2020. Early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure, the Bolts are moving in a different direction. Krishnan, who held the title of football research and analytics director, is no longer with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Seth Walder. While new regimes shake up staffs, it will be interesting to see how Harbaugh goes about assembling an analytics department in Los Angeles.
  • The Jaguars are also losing an experienced staffer. Brian Squeglia, who worked as an area scout for the past six years and spent eight seasons in Jacksonville, is leaving the team, per Stratton. Squeglia is set to remain in the industry but is not planning to work for another team presently.
  • The Titans added two staffers recently, with Walder indicating they hired Erin Psajdl Davis and Alex Rogers as analysts. Psajdl Davis comes over from the Chiefs, having worked on the business side in Kansas City. She previously held a football-related role in Houston. Rogers interned for the Saints previously.

David Shaw Addresses Broncos Hire

June 21st, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

After frequently receiving interest for a head coaching position, David Shaw is set to return to the NFL. The former Stanford coach will spend the 2024 season in a front office role with the Broncos.

Shaw has a relationship with head coach Sean Payton dating back to their shared time together on the Eagles’ staff in 1997. The former interviewed for Denver’s HC vacancy before the latter was ultimately tapped for the job. To little surprise, Shaw’s standing with general manager George Paton also played a role in yesterday’s hire.

“I got to know [Paton] pretty well during that process and we just stayed in touch and this offseason we talked about different things, and I thought there might be a role [where] maybe I could fill a need for the Broncos,” the 51-year-old said, via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “It’s a very good opportunity… I’m very excited to be back in the NFL with some great people.”

Shaw had a successful run at Stanford, compiling a 96-54 record and winning two of three Rose Bowl appearances. The four-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year took a year away from the sidelines in 2023, but he interviewed for the head coaching positions of both the Titans and Chargers this offseason. Given that, Shaw was understandably asked about his plans for returning to the coaching ranks in the future.

He declined to offer a firm response on that point, adding that his attention is currently on his Broncos role. Providing further detail in that respect, 9News’ Mike Klis notes Shaw will break down film on college and pro players as part of his responsibilities. Know for his success in player evaluation, Denver’s new senior personnel executive will primarily work remotely, Klis adds.

Paton and Payton remain the central decision-makers guiding the Broncos’ roster decisions, and the latter will face heightened expectations in 2024 with his preference for QB prospects (Bo Nix) now in the fold. Still, Shaw will be a key figure in the organization’s front office, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his new role and the extent to which it opens up other opportunities for him around the league.

Broncos Hire David Shaw

June 20th, 2024 at 10:17am CST by Adam La Rose

David Shaw has long been mentioned as a candidate to return to the NFL coaching scene, and he is now set to join a pro franchise for the first time since 2005. The former Stanford head coach is taking on a position with the Broncos, as first reported by Mike Klis of 9News. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Shaw will hold the title of senior personnel executive. That is a different role than what he had interviewed for in recent years – the 51-year-old had been attempting to become an NFL head coach – but he will nevertheless face high expectations as part of Denver’s front office. Shaw’s arrival follows that of Cody Rager, who in January became the team’s VP of player personnel.

The Broncos hired Sean Payton during the 2022 head coaching cycle; their interview process included a meeting with Shaw. The latter was again on the radar of interested teams this offseason, interviewing with the Chargers and Titans for their respective HC vacancies. After being unable to land a role on the sidelines in the NFL, Shaw will now transition to an executive position allowing him to reunite with Payton. The pair worked together as assistants on the Eagles’ staff in 1997.

Shaw took over from Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2011, and he had a strong run as head coach through 2022. Compiling a 96-54 record and leading the program to three Rose Bowl titles, he drew praise for his pro-style offense. Shaw was away from coaching last season, and this gig will involve new front office responsibilities. Several members of the Broncos’ ownership group – including Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner and Condoleezza Rice – have longstanding ties to Stanford, and Klis notes general manager George Paton remained in touch with Shaw following his head coaching interview.

Now, Shaw will aim to offer insight on both pro and college personnel in Denver while serving in a different role than what he is familiar with. Success in the Mile High City could lead to further opportunities in Denver or renewed interest from around the NFL.

2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 1st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

David Shaw To Interview For Titans’ HC Position

January 19th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Add another offensive-minded coach to the list of head coaching candidates in Tennessee. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Titans will host former Stanford head coach David Shaw this weekend to interview for their vacant head coaching job.

Shaw was out of coaching in 2023, taking a year off after re-signing from his longtime position as head coach of the Cardinal. Shaw held his position at Stanford for 12 years, winning three conference titles in his first five years at the helm. Shaw had been a homerun hire out of the gate, amassing an 82-26 record over his first eight years in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, a 14-28 record over his last four years, including two consecutive 3-9 seasons to close out his tenure, seemingly forced his hand, ending his time at Stanford.

Before serving as a head coach at the collegiate level, a position Shaw had been promoted to after time as an offensive coordinator for the Cardinal and passing game coordinator at the University of San Diego under Jim Harbaugh, Shaw had an extensive career as an NFL assistant. After starting as an offensive quality control coach in Philadelphia in 1997, Shaw spent three years in the same role for the Raiders. In 2001, Shaw was promoted to quarterbacks coach in Oakland and would leave the next year to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers in Baltimore.

Shaw’s college coaching career saw him bring up such NFL successes as Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey. His pro-style offense has often been a point of interest in the NFL, bringing his name up in several head coaching searches in the past. Despite all the interest, this will only be Shaw’s third NFL head coaching interview following an interview yesterday with the Chargers and last year with the Broncos.

You can find the full list of all candidates for vacant NFL head coaching jobs at PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, but for convenience, the Titans are as follows:

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