Grading potential candidates for Stanford's head coaching job

There are a lot of names being thrown out for Stanford's head coaching opening

When college football head coaching jobs open up there are always dozens of names thrown out as possibilities. 

Some people focus on fit or splashiness of the hire, while some look for those who have ties to the program. All methods have some validity, but in seeing the names that are being thrown around to replace David Shaw at Stanford, some of the suggested candidates are much better than others. 

Immediately after he announced that he was stepping down as the head coach at Stanford, I compiled a list of coaches that the program should pursue just like a handful of other outlets did. While some of the names are realistic and others not so much, I thought it would be a fun idea to give a letter grade to each of the coaching candidates that I have seen thus far. 

My grading criteria is based off likeliness of them being offered/accepting an offer, fit, previous success, and whether or not it is one that I think will be successful.  

Derek Mason, Oklahoma State DC

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His name is one that is commonly being thrown out for a couple reasons, for starters he worked under Shaw as the defensive coordinator from 2010-2013, so he has Stanford ties. Secondly, he was a head coach at Vanderbilt which has some academic requirements of their own. 

Now, I get that some people want someone with Stanford ties but Mason's record at Vanderbilt peaked at 6-7, and his defense at Oklahoma State ranks No. 114 in total defense. In no world do I see him getting a Power 5 head coaching job anytime soon. Before people come in and say how hard it is to win at Vanderbilt, James Franklin was there for three years going 6-7  in year one and following that up with two 9-4 seasons. Before he became the head coach the team went 2-10 in the two years prior. I think Stanford needs to completely get away from this mindset of bringing in someone from Shaw's staff and start fresh.

Grade: D

Mike Bloomgren, Rice HC

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Someone who was a crucial pillar of the culture under Shaw, Mike Bloomgren is now out in Texas coaching at Rice. A program that is historically unsuccessful, and also has strict academics. His best season is 5-7, which is a great improvement from his first season's record of 2-11.

When Bernard Muir addressed the media, he spoke about how many people were interested in this job, so I truly don't understand the concept of allowing someone to fail up to a better job just because they have Stanford ties. Stanford needs physicality in the trenches, which he will bring but why not just hire a coach who can bring along an assistant who can do the same?

Grade: D

Bronco Mendenhall, former Virginia HC

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He stepped away from coaching but is rumored to want to be back on the sidelines. He has Pac-12 experience as a former Oregon State defensive coordinator, and is someone who isn't known to back away from a challenge as a coach. He left BYU to coach at Virginia, which was a move that shocked many. He led the Cavaliers to a ACC championship appearance in his fourth season, and had just one losing season. 

He is someone who can rebuild culture and has consistently found success wherever he has been. I don't think he's the splashiest of hires, but I do think he should be a legitimate option for Stanford. The reason he doesn't get a higher grade is due to the fact that he has been out of football for a year and it was a surprise that he stepped away, so I think it is fair to wonder if he will want to coach for a long period of time.  

Grade: B

Dave Aranda, Baylor HC

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Dave Aranda has become one of the most respected coaches in the country over the past couple seasons, and generated major buzz on the coaching trail last year. He was linked to jobs such as USC and LSU, but elected to remain in Waco. Whether he wants to leave Baylor is unknown, and Stanford obviously isn't the caliber job that the previous two are, but there he would be a great get. 

He's a California native, who as we learned last year doesn't desire to be at a huge market like a USC. Aranda is viewed as an extremely smart guy, and many think that he wold perfectly fit in at a place like Stanford that isn't the typically college football atmosphere. I think this would be one of, if not the best moves for Stanford. In terms of vibe Stanford and Baylor are similar, and I think Stanford can give him everything he likes about Baylor, and even more. His grade takes a hit due to the fact that he turned down other jobs before, so I'm not sure if this would be the one he jumps at. 

Grade: B+

Chris Petersen, former Washington HC

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A name that everyone is throwing out when it comes to a potential candidate is former Boise State and Washington Coach, Chris Petersen, who is certainly one of the better ones. Until he says that he doesn't want to coach college football, I am considering him the best candidate available. He took Washington to the College Football Playoff and just has a track record of success. One of my biggest worries for this opening is how difficult it will be for Stanford to nail a third hire in a row. I think Petersen would find success right away and set this program up to succeed for years to come. 

The downside with him is he's currently a Fox Sports analyst who hasn't coached since 2019. He has turned down the Stanford job before, and it isn't known if he wants to coach. Not to mention, he didn't have to deal with the transfer portal/NIL like he would now. NIL wasn't even a thing the last time he coached. 

Grade: A-