This off-season the Stanford Cardinal fired head coach Troy Taylor mid off the field allegations. The firing put first time General Manager Andrew Luck in a unique position as he needed to lead a coaching search for the first time. With the season around the corner, Andrew Luck went with a familiar face, hiring Frank Reich who he played for in Indianapolis.
Filling the Stanford job is a tougher task than most jobs as there is a lot that comes with the position. The Cardinal have strict academic requirements while they have to travel across the country to play most of their conference games, which is a unique challenge.
On Friday, the Stanford Cardinal and Andrew Luck came to a decision hiring Washington Commanders QB Coach Tavita Pritchard as their next head coach.
BREAKING: Stanford has hired Tavita Pritchard as its next head football coach, @PeteNakos reports🌲https://t.co/qM1YK8zBri pic.twitter.com/G6U7uXKABt
— On3 (@On3sports) November 28, 2025
Pritchard and Andrew Luck have a familiarity as Andrew Luck took over for Pritchard while the two played together before Pritchard became a graduate assistant.
After finishing his playing career, Pritchard has spent a ton of time in the Stanford program. Pritchard started as a grad assistant before becoming a defensive assistant. Pritchard then spent a season as the Stanford running backs coach, then quarterbacks coach, and became the offensive coordinator from 2018-2022.
Andrew Luck needed to find a coach who’s familiar with the Stanford program, and what it takes to succeed there and turning to a coach like Pritchard who spent time in the program is a great fit. Both key figures in the success of the program being alumni sets Stanford up very well for the foreseeable future.
Being aligned in college football is more important than ever as Luck will help Pritchard build a roster. With a general manager and head coach on the same page, Stanford will now look to build itself into a contender in the ACC.