Stanford announces Tavita Pritchard as head coach
On Black Friday, Stanford football announced that Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach and former Stanford offensive coordinator and quarterback Tavita Pritchard will be the new head coach for the program, taking over for Frank Reich, who served as the interim head coach for the season. Reich will stay involved in the program as a senior advisor per the team release. Pritchard will be formally announced as head coach in a press conference on Tuesday.
GoStanford.com: Tavita Pritchard Named Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football
The news comes as a bit of a surprise given that it appeared as though Stanford had cooled on Pritchard as they were known to have been talking to some other candidates (e.g. Jim Mora Jr.). Pritchard’s name was the first name that popped up when this whole process began so in that vein, it’s not a surprise. It’s just the way that it unfolded that I think had some people fooled.
Throughout the whole process, the only thing that was certain was that general manager Andrew Luck and assistant general manager Sam Fisher were keeping a tight lid on things. As soon as news came of Mora no longer being a candidate, it was anybody’s guess what direction Luck would go and in the end, Luck went with the guy who had been talked about from the very beginning. This is a classic example of it having been right under our nose the entire time.
As far as reactions to the hire, early receipts I’m getting indicate that the players, alums, and commits are all pretty fired up. Pritchard is a Cardinal legend who knows Stanford as well as anybody. His familiarity with the program and what makes Stanford special no doubt played a huge role in this decision. That should ensure that a lot of money is poured into the program and that the entire Stanford community is behind him. As Stanford seeks to rejuvenate their program, getting that kind of support is going to be crucial.
“Winning in college football today requires a leader of men who can build and motivate teams, recruit future stars, and develop and connect with talent,” said Luck in the team release linked above. “Tavita Pritchard is exactly the right head coach at the right time to help us build on the foundation of this season and lead Stanford football to its next great era. Coach Pritchard is a culture builder, a teacher of football of the highest caliber, and a humble yet determined servant leader who is committed to the success of Stanford’s student-athletes. I could not be more excited to welcome Tavita, Caroline and their family back to campus.”
“Stanford is a place like no other and my family and I are full of gratitude to be returning home in every sense of the word,” said Pritchard. “I have a clear vision of the hard work, brotherhood and tenacity it will take to build a championship Stanford football program. I cannot wait to partner with Andrew and begin working with the best student-athletes in the world to achieve excellence on and off the field.”
Personally, I think this hire could work out well for Stanford provided Pritchard gets the support he needs. Having Reich along as an advisor should help and then you know Luck is going to be a big support as well, already spending a lot of time with the players at practice and doing a great job of connecting with recruits. Along with putting together a good staff around him, this collaborative approach could end up working. It’s just all about whether or not Pritchard can grow into the shoes that he is now being asked to fill. That’s the biggest question.
Looking ahead, Stanford has the early signing period coming up on December 3rd through December 5th. Pritchard’s first order of business will be to start meeting with the commits and selling them on his vision for the program. It’ll be interesting to see where things go from there and what kind of program Pritchard is able to build along with Luck, Reich, and Fisher.
Note: Cardinal Sports Report has you covered for all the latest news on Stanford as they begin the Andrew Luck era.
Join Cardinal Sports Report today for $1 for the first week and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic – included with your membership.
Don’t miss out on this great offer!
Sign up here: https://www.on3.com/sites/cardinal-sports-report/join/
CardinalSportsReport.com on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), & Bluesky: @StanfordRivals
Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406
Email: [email protected]
Join the conversation on CardinalSportsReport.com
