Bears plan to interview David Shaw again |
It's incredible how one interview can change the course of one's future. After interviewing for the Bears' vacant head coach position but losing out to Ben Johnson, David Shaw may not be finished in Chicago. He is expected to Interview for a separate position next week.
That shows how much of an impression he made with the Bears front office and how much Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson value his input. In case you missed the initial reports, Shaw is not only expected to be back in Chicago on Monday, but he is also expected to interview for the offensive coordinator position. Talk about a whirlwind situation for someone who hasn't been in the NFL all that long. Looking back at the interviews this team has completed, you have to like the list of names for the most part, but there are some questionable candidates. Shaw has more experience than most of those names and is an excellent option for the offensive coordinator role. The former Stanford University head coach remains a mystery candidate for the Bears, but he is considered one of the best football minds in the game. Shaw started coaching in 1995 and is currently a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos. He has nearly 30 years of coaching experience. Not only does he have the experience the Bears are looking for after being a head coach, but he is also an offensive-minded guy, which is another box the Bears want to check off, considering the direction this team appears to be heading next season. While most NFL fans only know Shaw through his days at Stanford, having 30 years of experience is no joke, but who is Shaw, and how does his overall coaching background help his case to land an NFL job and the potential Bears opening? As mentioned, the 52-year-old Shaw got his first coaching opportunity in 1995, when he was the Outside LB coach with Western Washington University. After moving to the Western Washington University tight ends coach in 1996, Shaw jumped to the NFL in 1997 and remained there for nine seasons. That all started with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 as their offensive quality control coach before heading west to Oakland to hold that same title for the next three seasons. Shaw then got moved to quarterback coach for the Raiders in 2001 before landing with Baltimore in 2001 and spending the next four years as WR or quarterback coach. His history as a quarterback coach could come into play here as he helped develop one of the best NFL prospects in recent memory, Andrew Luck, before he prematurely retired from the game after six seasons. His time in the NFL ended following the Ravens gig, and he hasn't been back in the NFL since. Chicago isn't letting that scare them away, as he has played a vital role with several collegiate programs, including the University of San Diego, where he continued to work with both the quarterbacks and receivers. During the 2007 season, Shaw got his big break when he moved north to Palo Alto to join Jim Harbaugh's staff at Stanford, where his coaching career would ultimately end. Across his first four seasons at Stanford, Shaw worked with the quarterbacks and wide receivers and served as the team's offensive coordinator. He also worked with several NFL players who put up big numbers with him calling the plays. Once Harbaugh decided to leave Stanford for San Francisco, Shaw was replaced and remained their head coach from 2011 through the 2022 season. In those 12 years, Shaw had a ton of early success as guys like Luck, and Christian McCaffrey played a massive role before his success began to wear off near the end of his tenure. Still, with a 96-54 career record and plenty of bowl-season success, his success can't be ignored. He was one of the better college coaches for over a decade. That type of head coaching experience will not only come into play at the NFL level, but it should also help him land another coaching opportunity in this league, even if that means going the coordinator route first. There is a reason why he elected to join the Broncos after leaving Stanford rather than take another college opportunity. Shaw wants to coach in the NFL, be part of an organization, and lead a team. The Bears could be the team that gives him that opportunity.
