Former Stanford coach David Shaw has joined the Denver Broncos as a senior personnel executive. Shaw, who led Stanford from 2011 to 2022, will assist in evaluating college and professional players and support General Manager George Paton with roster assessments.
Shaw, 51, has a history as an assistant coach with the Eagles, Raiders, and Ravens before his tenure at Stanford, where he won three Pac-12 championships. He has been seeking a return to the NFL, having interviewed for head coaching positions with the Chargers and Titans last winter, and was also considered for the Broncos head coach role that eventually went to Sean Payton in 2023.
Shaw and Paton maintained contact, leading to the creation of a position for Shaw in the personnel department, akin to the role Gary Kubiak had after resigning as the Broncos head coach in 2016. Unlike Kubiak, who had an office at the team headquarters, Shaw will primarily work from his home in the Bay Area, attending training camp and a few games.
Shaw has strong connections to the Broncos. He and Payton worked together as young offensive assistants in Philadelphia in 1997. Additionally, team owners Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner are Stanford graduates, and limited shareholder Condoleezza Rice is the director of the Hoover Institute at Stanford.
Shaw’s appointment follows the addition of Cody Rager as vice president of player personnel, who was a longtime scout for the Saints during Payton’s tenure as head coach. The Broncos, aiming to end a seven-season losing streak and an eight-year playoff drought, have made significant changes. After an 8-9 season under Payton, they released notable players such as Justin Simmons, Russell Wilson, and Josey Jewell, and selected quarterback Bo Nix in the first round of the draft.
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