David Shaw's compensation underscores Stanford's recent football success

The USA Today has reported that Stanford head coach David Shaw earned nearly $4.1 million in total compensation during 2014, a sum that possibly makes him the Pac-12's highest-paid coach.

The total is close to double the amount that tax records reported for Shaw's compensation the previous year -- just over $2.2 million -- and is also the highest for any Stanford employee in at least the past seven years.

Stanford's appreciation for David Shaw's 54-14 record and three Pac-12 championships is beginning to pay off on a national scale.Aside from showing that the university is serious about rewarding and sustaining Shaw's unprecedented success -- he's 54-14 with three Pac-12 championships under…