Born in Glenmora, Louisiana, Shaw served in the United States Air Force after graduating from Lincoln High School in San Diego.
Serving in the Vietnam War, Shaw rose to the rank of Sergeant.
[1][2] Shaw later worked on jets at an electronics company before enrolling at the University of New Mexico.
[4] Shaw then transferred to San Diego State University, where he did not play football but earned his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1971 and later a master's degree in physical education in 1973.
In his second stint at Stanford, he was a finalist for the head coach position in 1992 that eventually went to Bill Walsh.