Assessing Stanford Football's Hire of Tavita Pritchard

On the eve of their final game of the season, the Stanford Cardinal football program made a decision that will shape their future. Naming former Stanford quarterback and assistant coach Tavita Pritchard as their head coach moving forward, the Cardinal finally answered the question of who would lead the program into the future.

Now the Cardinal made their decision, opting to go with a guy who has been a part of the Stanford family before.

But is this hire a good one? Some alum have spoken on the move and Pritchard, and have given their seal of approval, which could mean good things are coming to Stanford football.

Pritchard, whose name had been floated around in the Stanford head coach search for some time, is not the flashiest hire and is certainly not the biggest name, but it makes all the sense in the world. After all, a big problem for Stanford football in recent seasons has been its struggles to keep up in the NIL and transfer portal era.

Pritchard, who played quarterback at Stanford from 2006-09 before beginning his coaching career with the program in 2010 knows Stanford inside and out, and knows what is needed for the program to be successful.

As a coach, Pritchard started as a graduate assistant at Stanford in 2010 and stayed with the program in various roles through 2022, spending the final five seasons of his first tenure as the offensive coordinator.

And while some people may look down on the hire because of his struggles as the offensive coordinator—where Stanford went 3-9 in his final two years—Pritchard was not the one calling plays as the offensive coordinator (former head coach David Shaw was) and the scheme was Shaw's. Now Pritchard will be the one in charge.

Since leaving Stanford, Pritchard has gained three years of NFL coaching experience as the quarterbacks coach of the Washington Commanders, playing a vital role in developing Jayden Daniels into a superstar.

Deemed a 'quarterback whisperer,' Pritchard taking over a program that has questions at quarterback. He could help either bring in new talent or develop the guys already on the roster. And as a former NFL coach, Pritchard can use that to his advantage when he recruits players. Pritchard and Luck could form a terrific recruiting duo for the quarterback position.

Recruiting wise, Stanford hit a home run. Arguably the greatest recruiter in Stanford football history, Pritchard played a big role in Stanford landing its biggest stars from the last decade or so, playing a big role in landing guys like Christian McCaffrey, Kevin Hogan, Davis Mills, Tanner McKee, JJ Arcega-Whiteside and many others.

In today's era of college football, where the NIL and transfer portal run the show, being a skilled recruiter is key, and Pritchard definitely checks that box. Now that Pritchard is in charge, the question becomes what type of players he is able to bring in and if he can return Stanford to being in the top-25 in terms of recruiting classes.

In Andrew Luck's first official full-time head coach hire, he definitely made sure to do a full-scale search and assess all options. Reportedly looking at several high profile coaches including Jim L. Mora and James Franklin, Pritchard proved himself to be the guy.

Now that he is back on The Farm, the quest to rebuild the program back into a national powerhouse is the main focus, with Luck and company confident that can happen under the leadership of a coach that Cardinal fans know all too well.