Broncos Hire Former Stanford HC David Shaw as Senior Personnel Executive

The Denver Broncos announced Thursday they hired former Stanford head coach David Shaw as a senior personnel executive.

Shaw spent 12 seasons with the Cardinal, compiling a 96-54 record and guiding the team to a postseason bowl in each of his first eight years. The high-water mark of his tenure came in 2015, when Stanford won the Pac-12 and hammered Iowa 45-16 in the Rose Bowl.

Shaw was occasionally the subject of interest from NFL teams in the past.

The 51-year-old consistently utilized a more pro-style offense with the Cardinal, and he had worked as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens before moving to the college ranks at San Diego with Jim Harbaugh in 2006. He was on the same staff as current Broncos head coach Sean Payton in Philadelphia.

Shaw also interviewed with Denver during its coaching search in 2023, so general manager George Paton will have been well acquainted with his résumé already. In addition, Mike Klis of 9News noted co-owners Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner and Condoleezza Rice "have deep ties to Stanford and had close-up observations of the success he had at a school better known for its academic prowess."

The Broncos finished 8-9 in 2023 but appear to be embracing a rebuild after cutting quarterback Russell Wilson and bidding adieu to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and safety Justin Simmons. In terms of veteran additions, they did little to move the needle.

The task ahead for Shaw is helping to figure out which players on Denver's roster can be long-term contributors and evaluate the stars currently in the college ranks who should be on the organization's radar come draft time.