Harris officially hired at Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Walt Harris was officially introduced as Stanford’s new football coach Monday, given the task of resurrecting a program that struggled in three seasons under Buddy Teevens. Harris signed a five-year deal less than three weeks before he leads No. 19 Pittsburgh (8-3) in the Fiesta Bowl against Utah. Harris will assume his new job after that game Jan. 1.
Athletic director Ted Leland searched for a coach with a strong offensive background after Stanford struggled to score during Teevens’ tenure.
Harris fits the bill, having been quarterbacks coach for Ohio State’s high-powered offense in 1995-96 before rebuilding Pittsburgh. The Panthers have won at least eight games for three straight seasons.
“He brings with him over 30 years of experience on the collegiate and professional levels and we are fortunate to have him as our head coach,” Leland said. “In fact, other than Bill Walsh, Walt is the most experienced and successful head coach that Stanford has hired since Pop Warner in 1924.”
The Cardinal went 4-7 the past two seasons, losing their last five games this year. They were 0-13 down the stretch in Teevens’ three seasons, leading to his firing last month.
Harris, Pitt’s eighth-year coach, has plenty of connections to the Bay Area. He grew up in South San Francisco and attended college at Pacific in Stockton, where he also began his college coaching career directing the secondary.
He coached the linebackers at California from 1974-77 and made stops at Air Force, Michigan State, Illinois and Tennessee before Leland hired him as head coach at Pacific. The school eventually dropped the program.
Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow was the other top candidate.