Washington has interest in Stanford coach David Shaw for its coaching vacancy, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, and is expected to pursue him among other options in 2020. Of course, numerous owners have courted Shaw in recent years, with him signaling a strong preference to remain with the Stanford program.
Shaw will be in heavy demand again in 2020, with his deep roots in the NFL and success in college coveted by several front offices. Washington head of football operations Bruce Allen is a big proponent of Shaw's, sources said, and both have ties to the Raiders organization. It seems doubtful Washington would be able to attract a candidate of this caliber to a position that has been brutal to every coach under Snyder, but Snyder has often aimed high, and that will not change in 2020.
Snyder's dream hire would be Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, as previously reported, but with Tomlin turning in a Coach of the Year-type performance under duress in Pittsburgh and with one year left on his deal, it may be quite difficult to put together a trade package that could land him. Shaw would qualify as another splash hire, one big enough to create a stir among a fan base that is ignoring home games in droves, and in the end rival executives believe Washington will have very little chance of landing someone with that sort of resume.
Allen's role in the organization remains of vital importance to coaching candidates, with the team's personnel and record failing under his leadership. Sources said Dan Snyder is beginning to understand the gravity of his situation and that major changes could be coming to the Skins front office this week.
Washington and Carolina, who is also likely to inquire about Shaw, are the only teams to fire their head coaches in-season thus far, but there is expected to be heavy competition for a small group of proven coaches this offseason, with the Cowboys, Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Lions, Jets, Browns and others possibly making big changes next year as well.
