Wednesday’s decision to terminate head coach Sherrone Moore for cause left Michigan in an urgent coaching search. Names like Kalen DeBoer and Jedd Fisch have circulated quickly, reflecting both the Wolverines’ stature and the urgency of the moment. That was expected. What was not expected was the name ESPN’s Rece Davis introduced.

“If I were in Warde Manuel and Michigan’s position, I’d have David Shaw very high on my list. Given the circumstances, likely atop the list,” Rece Davis tweeted on December 12. 

Michigan is not conducting a normal coaching search. It is attempting to stabilize a brand that has absorbed repeated hits, first from the NCAA investigation and penalties tied to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal, and now from a dismissal involving criminal charges. This is about credibility, control, and restoring basic trust. That is the context behind Davis’ suggestion.

David Shaw has direct ties to former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. He joined Harbaugh’s staff at the University of San Diego in 2006, where the Toreros went 11–1 and led Division I-AA in passing offense (293.3 yards per game), total offense (494.25), and scoring offense (42.83 points per game). When Harbaugh took over at Stanford in 2007, he followed as offensive coordinator. Under his direction, Stanford’s offense produced a Heisman Trophy runner-up in Andrew Luck and scored at least 40 points in 11 games. The Cardinal set school records with 461 points in 2009 and then 524 points in 2010.

As Stanford’s head coach from 2011 through 2022, David Shaw compiled a 96-54 record (.640). His first eight seasons were especially strong with 82-26 overall, eight consecutive bowl appearances, eight-plus wins every year, and Top 15 AP Poll rankings in each season. Stanford won 10 or more games five times in that stretch. That consistency established him as a program builder. But the decline that followed is well documented. From 2019 to 2022, Stanford went 14-28, including one winning season during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. 

David Shaw resigned in 2022 and stepped away from college football. Since then, he has returned at the professional level, first as a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos, and now as a passing game coordinator with the Detroit Lions. He is currently coaching roughly an hour from Ann Arbor. That proximity, however, does not equal availability. 

UCLA beat writer Ben Bolch responded to Rece Davis’ post by noting that David Shaw had previously indicated any return to coaching would not be in college football.

“I asked David Shaw about his coaching future last year because his son Carter plays for UCLA,” he tweeted. “Circumstances can always change, of course, but David told me if he returned to coaching, it would be in the NFL.”

So, who else is on Michigan’s radar?

Other replacement potentials for Sherrone Moore 

After the university confirmed Wednesday that Sherrone Moore was terminated with cause following an internal investigation that found credible evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, Biff Poggi was named interim head coach immediately. If Michigan opts for continuity without escalation, Poggi becomes more than a placeholder. He was a key lieutenant during the Harbaugh era and understands the building, the roster, and the expectations.

Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey represents a cleaner internal pivot. He has not been in Ann Arbor long enough to be linked to prior issues and brings previous head coaching experience at Troy. His relationship with QB Bryce Underwood also factors into that calculus. Jedd Fisch remains a serious candidate with deep Michigan ties and recent success at Arizona and Washington. Kalen DeBoer’s name also continues to surface due to his Midwest roots, clean reputation, and consistent winning, combined with the perception that SEC pressure may not be his long-term preference.

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Rece Davis’ suggestion of David Shaw cuts through all of that. It is not about upside but about credibility. Whether Michigan can convince him to take the call is the next question.