It's not that often that the Stanford football program gets national attention, but that's exactly what's happening this offseason.
With Frank Reich stepping in as interim head coach for the 2025 season and Andrew Luck taking over as general manager, ESPN’s College GameDay crew—specifically Rece Davis and Pete Thamel—dug into what this all means for the future of the program.
Reich, best known for his time in the NFL, was handed the keys to a struggling Stanford program after the university parted ways with Troy Taylor. Taylor’s exit didn’t come without controversy, with allegations surfacing about his treatment of female staffers. Stanford quickly moved to reset the program’s culture, and Reich became the immediate fix.
As we all know, Reich was brought in on a one-year basis. That much is clear. The plan is to reevaluate after 2025 and conduct a national search for a permanent head coach. However, Pete Thamel raised a point that’s stirred the pot among fans: what if Reich does better than expected?
“There’s a power in being the interim,” Thamel said on the College GameDay Podcast. “You face adversity, you build trust, and sometimes that changes the trajectory of a program. I’ve been told directly that Reich isn’t expected to be the full-time hire, but history shows the interim can surprise people.”
Some fans believe Thamel is right—if Reich turns things around, why wouldn’t Stanford consider keeping him long term? Others are more skeptical, suggesting the program can’t afford to fall into another “feel-good” storyline when it needs a bigger hire.
Rece Davis chimed in, sharing that he believes whoever comes in will be someone who is willing to work with Andrew Luck. Honestly, there may not be anyone who will work better with Luck than Reich.
“Probably what Stanford needs right now is someone who’s willing to come in, work with Andrew Luck, coach the team, and not have designs on winning the job outright,” Davis said. “But what happens if they start winning? What if Frank Reich decides he loves it and wants to stay?”
Something tells us that Stanford will still conduct its national search next offseason, but if Reich wants to re-enter his name in the hat, he'll get a strong look.