Buck Shaw

Bio

Buck Shaw built the finest coaching record in Santa Clara football history. The former Notre Dame tackle joined the Bronco staff in 1929 as line coach, a position he held until assuming the head coaching slot in 1936. Over the next seven seasons, Shaw's teams compiled a record of 47-10-4, including a span of 16 consecutive wins. The 1937 Santa Clara team allowed only nine points over a nine-game campaign. Highlighting Shaw's tenure at the Bronco helm were a pair of victories over heavily-favored Louisiana State elevens, 21-14, in 1937, and 6-0, in 1938. Prior to his days at Santa Clara, Shaw had been head coach at North Carolina State (1924) and Nevada (1925-1928). He coached one year at California (1945) after departing from Santa Clara, but left the collegiate ranks in 1946 to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, a position he held until 1954. His 49er teams logged a 33-25-2 record before Shaw returned to the college game as coach at the newly-established U.S. Air Force Academy. However, Shaw could not stay away from professional ball, and in 1958, took over the Philadelphia Eagles, guiding them to the NFL Championship in 1960.