Stanford Coaching Search: An Ivy League Candidate?

by Scott Allen on Jan 12, 2026 4:00 PM PST

In his latest Stanford coaching search update, the Mercury News' Jon Wilner reports that, best he can tell, there are five candidates to replace Jim Harbaugh.

Three of the candidates--Vic Fangio, David Shaw, and Greg Roman--were linked to the job as soon as Harbaugh left for the NFL. The fourth candidate, according to Wilner, is former Stanford linebacker and Yale head coach Tom Williams. Interesting.

The former Rhodes Scholar candidate has done good things in his two years in New Haven, leading the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record this season after a 4-6 record in his first year at the helm. Williams played for Jack Elway, Dennis Green, and Bill Walsh while at Stanford before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant. He worked under Walsh, Ty Willingham, Rick Neuheisel, Dick Tomey, and Jack Del Rio, among others, en route to his first head coaching gig at Yale. You may recall that he was an assistant at Stanford from 2002-2004 under fellow Ivy League head coach Buddy Teevens and considers Teevens his biggest coaching influence. (I'm just kidding about that last part. I think.)

The fifth candidate is a mystery. Wilner, who makes no mention of Stanford special teams coach Brian Polian, says it could be Oregon State head coach Mike Riley or Willingham. I'll throw Mike Leach and Teevens into the mix just for fun. Feel free to add your own mystery candidates in the comments. The possibilities are endless.

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Who would you hire to replace Jim Harbaugh?

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John Harbaugh!

Actually, my real answer was going to be “a clone of Jim Harbaugh” until I realized that the next best thing is John, and it’s at least a more reasonable possibility than cloning. (I know it’s still entirely unreasonable, but hey, a girl can dream, right??)

I’m all for a homer, but if Buddy Teevens taught us anything, it’s that success in the Ivies doesn’t mean anything. At all.

I think we have to go in house. I’m leaning toward Shaw now, but the lack of head coaching experience of all internal candidates makes me a little nervous.

by CardiGrl on Jan 12, 2026 4:11 PM PST reply actions

STAY AWAY FROM THE IVY LEAGUE

They play for no stakes and have no idea what it takes to compete against real teams. Please no repeat of Buddy Ball.

by belikedurkheim on Jan 12, 2026 5:10 PM PST reply actions

Williams confirms interview

He told the New Haven Register:

“I’ve had conversations (with Bowlsby) but I love it here at Yale and I appreciate that (Yale athletic director) Tom Beckett took a chance on me and gave me this opportunity.”

by Scott Allen on Jan 12, 2026 7:54 PM PST reply actions

Uh Oh!

Never good when Yale’s head coach turns you down.

I would now tell Mike Leach to take the con of this ship, since damn near everyone at Stanford is crazy anyway. He would fit right in. If that is so untenable to the powers that be, could we try to pry Denny Green away from the UFL long before we dredge up Ty Willingham. Denny Green could at least run the ball. Name Shaw as the head coach in waiting, and give next year a one-off run for a championship with someone with experience. After Luck leaves let Shaw have at it.

by jterry94 on Jan 12, 2026 9:07 PM PST up reply actions

So let me get this straight

After the Orange Bowl, the talk was all about (still) Harbaugh and Luck leaving. Only 50% of that came true, and because of that, everyone was saying that the coaching position at Stanford was a highly coveted position and that people would be climbing over each other for the position.

Instead, Petersen apparently used Stanford for leverage at Boise State. Bellotti wouldn’t hire himself, but would be interested if a call came his way. Williams talks like he’s not going to leave Yale. And Wilner, the Chronicle, and nearly all of the NFL writers across the country say that teams are going after all THREE internal coaching candidates. Who actually wants this job?

by RedOscar on Jan 12, 2026 9:51 PM PST up reply actions

Reminds me of 1994

Baaaaack in my day when Bill Walsh retired for the second time, it was unclear who would succeed him. Walsh had replaced Denny Green who had been pretty successful, not Harbaugh successful but successful.

Since football is the most important thing in the world, I was worried that there would be a lack of qualified applicants who would be willing to replace “The Genius.” I did what every self-respecting graduate student would do and applied for the head coaching job. Of course, Ty Willingham got the job. Bad choice of course, I probably would have had at least two more National Championships over that those years as it was a down time in the Pac-10.

Anyway, for $3M/year they can dig up my CV out of the Athletic Department trash. I’ll be waiting for Bowlsby’s call.

I am sure the three assistant coaches want the job. My guess is that any of the three would do a fine job. I just can’t remember when a first year head coach won a championship. That is my only concern for next year, there would have been a reasonable shot with someone with experience.

Someone should call Urban Meyer and say just 1 more year.

by jterry94 on Jan 12, 2026 10:30 PM PST up reply actions

I hope Bowlsby is a genius

Already missed out on the big guy, so through out a bunch of ridiculous names so people think he has no idea what he is doing. Why not go for University of Chicago Head Coach, Dick Maloney? He is the second winning coach at the U of C behind Amos Alonzo Stagg. Let’s not overlook MIT’s football coach, he has won two games over the last two years.

Go through this bunch along with Yale’s guy and then say you decided to hire Shaw and everyone watching gives out a big sigh of relief and forgets about Peterson. Must be a genius, no one would replace Harbaugh with Yale’s head coach and watch every assistant coach leave.

by jterry94 on Jan 12, 2026 7:59 PM PST reply actions

MIT has a football team?

by Cardinal&Orange; on Jan 12, 2026 9:51 PM PST up reply actions

MIT, Ph.D, M O N E Y

The MIT Engineers, http://mitathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/index, 1-8 each of the last two years, someone call up Walt Harris.

The University of Chicago Maroons, 8-2 this year. Bowlsby should call Maloney. Last game I attended, they did get beat pretty bad. http://athletics.uchicago.edu/football/fb.htm

by jterry94 on Jan 12, 2026 10:13 PM PST up reply actions

The Maroons?

Another “color” team. Perfect.

by Cardinal&Orange; on Jan 13, 2026 6:29 AM PST up reply actions

Cardinal

At least, Stanford had sense enough not to make a color plural.

by jterry94 on Jan 13, 2026 7:56 AM PST up reply actions

Since we're scouring the Ivies, I nominate Mike Whalen

Who is he? The football coach at one of my alma maters, Wesleyan U.

The school produced at least one pretty good coach, some guy named Belichick. OK, he never coached at Wesleyan, but he’s had a nice run nonetheless.

Admission standards are high, like Stanford’s.

The team is called the Cardinal(s). Obviously, that’s destiny right there.

The Wesleyan Cardinals went 4-4 last season. That’s better than Walt Harris in his last season at Stanford.

Who seconds this nomination? Anyone?

by Cardinal&Orange; on Jan 12, 2026 9:49 PM PST reply actions

And with Ryan gone...

Stanford could use another no-relation-Whalen to complement Griff.

by Scott Allen on Jan 13, 2026 5:52 AM PST up reply actions

Coach

I’m surprised that RoT has not suggested a successful, and currently out of work, coach-Ralph Friedgen, formerly at Maryland. An elder guy who is definitely the opposite of California cool, Ralph would be a contrarian choice. HIs players love this bowling ball. He may not want to move West, but Bowlsby should talk to him.

by stanlawmed on Jan 13, 2026 5:05 AM PST reply actions