Baylor's Dave Aranda headlines ESPN's candidates to replace David Shaw at Stanford

There are tons of names being thrown around for the Stanford opening

One of the biggest headlines sweeping the country right now is the fact that Stanford's head coaching position is open. 

The vacancy comes after the program's all-time winningest coach, David Shaw, announced that he was stepping down following Stanford's loss to BYU on Saturday. Shaw's tenure started out extremely hot, but as I wrote about earlier today Stanford lost their identity and settled for the same staff throughout the struggles. 

Now, with just one week away before the transfer portal opens and a few more away from early signing day, the Cardinal need a new head coach. I put out a list of potential coaches that Stanford should consider on Sunday, and now ESPN has done the same. We have a couple similar ones such as former Washington coach Chris Petersen and Sacramento State's Troy Taylor, but they had a couple that I didn't think of, so let's take a look at Adam Rittenberg's top candidates for the opening!

Dave Aranda, Baylor HC

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After taking over for Matt Rhule, Aranda has had decent success at Baylor. Here is what Rittenberg had to say about why he's a fit:

Like Petersen, Aranda would be an excellent fit at Stanford. He could be interested in returning to his home state and working in an environment known for both academic and athletic success. He generated plenty of Pac-12 buzz last year but chose to remain at Baylor, which pays him well and provides good administrative support and leadership. Aranda, 46, has shown he can coach in different environments, but his distinctly cerebral approach would be fully embraced at a program like Stanford. He also doesn't mind tackling challenges like NIL and the portal. There's a lot keeping Aranda in Waco, Texas, but Stanford should pursue him nonetheless.

Paul Chryst, Former Wisconsin HC

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He was let go as Wisconsin's head coach earlier in the year, but was extremely successful in Madison. Here is what Rittenberg had to say:

If Stanford wants an experienced coach who succeeded at a program with strong academic standards, Chryst would make a lot of sense. He went 67-26 at Wisconsin before surprisingly being fired in October, and he helped the Badgers reach three New Year's Six bowls and four AP Top 25 finishes. Things ultimately got stale for Chryst at Wisconsin, but a location change and the chance to restore success could invigorate him. The 57-year-old also has some Pac-12 ties after two stints as Oregon State's offensive coordinator.

Mike Bloomgren, Rice HC

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Personally am not the biggest fan of this one as he has little success, but Rittenberg cites former connections to the program as a reason for why he is a candidate saying:

 Stanford's on-field decline has coincided with Bloomgren's departure as the team's offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. Bloomgren, 45, helped fortify Stanford's line from 2011 to 2017 and held a coordinator title for his final five seasons. His overall record at Rice (16-38, no bowl appearances) might be too much for Stanford to ignore, but he's well respected around the program and should at least merit some consideration to replace his former boss.

Greg Roman, Baltimore Ravens OC

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Another coach with previous ties to Stanford, Roman hails from the NFL ranks, and is someone Rittenberg thinks could be a good hire:

Stanford has a history of hiring coaches with NFL ties, including Shaw and Jim Harbaugh. Roman, 50, also has spent most of his career in pro ball, but coached at Stanford in 2008 and 2009 under Harbaugh before joining him with the San Francisco 49ers. He has been an NFL coordinator with the 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Ravens, but he has interest in being a head coach and possibly returning to college. Stanford certainly could gauge his interest, although the timing of the NFL season makes things tricky.

Bronco Mendenhall, former Virginia HC

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Despite being out of football this year, Mendenhall is generating some buzz:

He's not afraid of taking on a struggling program at an academically rigorous school. Mendenhall left a comfortable situation at BYU for Virginia, which was coming off four consecutive losing seasons. He led the Cavaliers to the ACC title game in Year 4 and had only one losing regular season before surprisingly stepping down last year. Mendenhall, 56, seemingly wants to return to the sideline and had been in the mix for Colorado's coaching vacancy this year. He's 135-81 in the FBS and has Pac-12 roots as a former Oregon State player and defensive coordinator.

Derek Mason, Oklahoma State DC

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Another coach with Stanford ties who didn't have success as a head coach the first time around:

Not long ago, Mason would have been viewed as a natural successor to Shaw, with whom he worked at Stanford from 2007 to 2013. The question is how much Mason's eventual struggles at Vanderbilt, where he went 27-55 as coach, would hurt his chances of returning to The Farm. Mason, 53, is a Phoenix native who understands the advantages and challenges at Stanford and also has coached in college during the portal/NIL era.