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College football coach rankings: Has Dabo Swinney officially surpassed Nick Saban?

By Phil Poling

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers meets head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide at mid-field after his 44-16 win in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers meets head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide at mid-field after his 44-16 win in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 06: Stanford Cardinal head coach, David Shaw, leads his team onto the field before the game between the Utah Utes and the Stanford Cardinals on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 06: Stanford Cardinal head coach, David Shaw, leads his team onto the field before the game between the Utah Utes and the Stanford Cardinals on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 9: David Shaw, Stanford

Another alum head coaching his alma mater, David Shaw is running the show at Stanford. He’s compiled an 82-26 mark at the helm, and 2019 will be his ninth season as a head coach – all coming at Stanford.

After finishing his own Cardinal playing career in 1993, Shaw turned to coaching in 1995 when Western Washington made him the outside linebackers coach. Stops in the NFL included time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens before a return to the collegiate level; Stanford hired Shaw in 2007 as their offensive coordinator.

Stanford’s a hard place to recruit for football, right? It’s an academic school, competing with other campuses in California that bathe in sunshine. But it’s actually been a desirable destination under Shaw. Since 2011, the Cardinal recruiting classes rank as follows, according to 247Sports: 22nd (2011), 7th (2012), 52nd, 13th, 24th, 16th, 14th, 40th, 21st. While he’s been able to accrue talented players, Shaw obviously develops his roster, too.

Shaw’s coached Stanford to four Pac-12 Championships – winning three of them – with two Rose Bowl victories to tout, as well. With sustained success, coupled by being an alum, Shaw could coach at Stanford for years to come, simply adding to an already impressive past.