STANFORD, Calif. — Former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard will return to The Farm as head football coach after being hired by general manager Andrew Luck.
Luck announced the move to hire Pritchard on Friday, a day before the Cardinal play the final game of their season under interim coach Frank Reich on Saturday night against No. 9 Notre Dame. Reich took over on an interim basis in April after Troy Taylor was fired and led Stanford to a 4-7 record, 3-5 in the ACC.
“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,” Luck said in a statement. “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."
Pritchard, who was a teammate of Luck's at Stanford from 2008-09, will officially start on Monday, a day after spending his final game as quarterbacks coach of the NFL's Washington Commanders.
Pritchard served as an assistant at Stanford from 2010-22 under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, before leaving for the NFL in 2023.
“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,” Pritchard said. “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.”
Pritchard helped Jayden Daniels win AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 when the Commanders made it to the NFC title game.
Washington coach Dan Quinn said he believes that Pritchard will be a “fantastic head coach."
“Players gravitate to him, and he quickly earned their respect and mine," Quinn said. "Tavita is smart, collaborative, diligent and he brings people together. He is the perfect coach to build a winning program in today’s college football landscape.”
Pritchard played at Stanford from 2006-09, appearing in 31 games and making 20 starts. His most memorable moment came in his first start when he led the 41-point underdog Cardinal to a 24-23 win over No. 2 USC that is one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Pritchard met his wife, Caroline, as undergrads at Stanford and three of their four children were born at Stanford Hospital.
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