Any NFL team hoping to make a major run at Stanford head coach David Shaw will, in all probability, come away disappointed, sources tell ESPN.

Despite being viewed as perhaps the top coaching candidate in the college ranks, Shaw has told people he plans to remain at Stanford, where he loves working with student-athletes and wants to continue coaching, according to sources.

David Shaw has gone 41-12 in four seasons at Stanford since replacing Jim Harbaugh as the Cardinal's head coach. AP Photo/Tony Avelar

Shaw is highly regarded in NFL circles, where he is viewed as one of the most coveted candidates in the country due to his credentials.

Shaw once was an assistant coach for the Raiders, Eagles and Ravens. He also was Jim Harbaugh's offensive coordinator at Stanford and succeeded him there when Harbaugh went to the 49ers.

But those who know the 42-year-old Shaw now believe he will not leave Stanford, no matter how much the NFL wants him.

Shaw has gone 41-12 in four seasons at Stanford, coaching the Cardinal to two Rose Bowl appearances during that stretch.

The Cardinal went 7-5 this season -- their worst record under Shaw -- and will play Maryland in the Fosters Farms Bowl on Dec. 30.