Stanford head coach David Shaw is stepping down after 12 seasons at the helm of the Cardinal program.
Shaw announced the news after the team closed out the season with a 35-26 loss to BYU on Saturday night, telling reporters he made the decision within the past week.
"After many prayers and multiple discussions with my wife, one phrase keeps coming to me -- it's time," Shaw stated in a release from the school. "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."
The release stated that a national search for Shaw’s successor will begin immediately.
Shaw is the winningest head coach in the school’s history, compiling a record of 96-54 during his tenure. A former Stanford player himself, he served as the team’s offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh from 2007 to 2010 before becoming head coach in 2011. Andrew Luck, Christian McCaffrey, Zach Ertz and David DeCastro are among the players who went on to Pro Bowl careers after developing under Shaw.
"I would like to thank David for his immense contributions to Stanford," Stanford director of athletics Bernard Muir stated in the release. "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."
After leading Stanford to at least eight wins in each of his first eight seasons as head coach, the program fell on harder times of late, posting 3-9 finishes in each of the last two campaigns. Shaw told reporters after the loss to BYU that he has no desire to coach another team right now.
An assistant coach for the Eagles, Raiders and Ravens before moving back to the college ranks, Shaw was viewed as a top candidate for a return to the pros in 2017, when two personnel executives told NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah that Shaw was the college coach who would make the best NFL head coach.