With success comes change, and Jim Harbaugh’s progress at Stanford will need to continue with some widespread changes on the coaching staff.
Jim Harbaugh will open Spring Practice with at least four new assistant coaches on staff.
Special teams coordinator D.J. Durkin was hired away for a similar position with the Florida Gators. Running backs coach Willie Taggart was hired to be the new head coach at Western Kentucky, and he took defensive backs coach Clayton White with him. Co-defensive coordinator Andy Buh left Palo Alto to run the defense at Nevada by himself.
Harbaugh has replaced Durkin with former Notre Dame special teams coach Brian Polian, an ace West Coast recruiter for Charlie Weis. At running backs coach, Harbaugh is hoping to retain his father Jack, who coached under him during the Sun Bowl. More changes are sure to come for Harbaugh, who signed a contract extension to stay at Stanford long-term.
Harbaugh’s program will be pushed to the max not only with coaching moves, but also player attrition, with All-American running back Toby Gerhart likely taking his act to the NFL and the graduation of several key seniors responsible for Stanford’s revival.