Stanford hires Tavita Pritchard: Commanders assistant, ex-Cardinal QB to replace interim Frank Reich

Stanford has hired Tavita Pritchard as its next football coach, the school announced Friday. Pritchard, who played quarterback for the Cardinal from 2006-09, is in his third season as the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders after a long run at Stanford as an assistant. Pritchard will start in his role at Stanford immediately following the Commanders' game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Pritchard will be replacing interim coach Frank Reich, who took over the program earlier this spring after Stanford fired coach Troy Taylor amid an off-field controversy. Reich, the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, has guided Stanford to a 4-7 record. The Cardinal closes out the 2025 season against No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday.

Pritchard started seven games in 2007 and all 12 games in 2008 before being replaced by Andrew Luck -- the current general manager of the football program who led the hiring process. 

"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. I could not be more excited to welcome Tavita, Caroline and their family back to campus."

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Richard Johnson

Pritchard began his coaching career with his alma mater in 2010 and stayed on in a variety of roles until 2022. He started as a graduate assistant and also worked as a defensive assistant before working his way up to several positions on the offensive staff -- running backs coach, quarterback and wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator/quarterback coach. 

Pritchard then joined the Commanders' staff in 2023 as the quarterbacks coach and oversaw the development of Jayden Daniels. Daniels, one of the league's brightest young quarterbacks, won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after helping guide his team to the NFC Championship game in 2024.

"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."

How did Stanford get here?

Stanford hasn't had a winning season since 2020, when it went 4-2, and last played in a bowl game in 2018. Under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, Stanford had plenty of success during the 2010s, including 10 consecutive bowl appearances and three Pac-12 titles. Stanford won the Rose Bowl twice under Shaw (2012 and 2015) and won the Orange Bowl (2010) in Harbaugh's final season with the program before he left to coach the San Francisco 49ers.

Stanford won at least eight games in Shaw's first seasons leading the program, but a downturn began thereafter. The Cardinal had a combined 14-28 record over Shaw's final four seasons and went just 3-15 in Pac-12 play across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Under Taylor, Stanford went 6-18 -- 3-9 in both 2023 and 2024. 

Taylor's first year at the school was Stanford's final season as a member of the Pac-12. After the Pac-12 dissolved, the Cardinal moved to the ACC and have continued to struggle. Stanford went 2-6 against ACC competition in 2024 and is 3-5 this season under Reich. Since 2022, Stanford has had just one win over a ranked opponent. That came in 2024 against No. 19 Louisville.

Another reason for the recent decline is the use -- or lack thereof -- of the transfer portal. In large part due to Stanford's rigorous academic requirements, the Cardinal brought in just four transfers (per 247Sports) ahead of the 2024 season. However, that number went up to 18 this past offseason as the roster experienced significant turnover after Taylor's dismissal.

Pritchard faces an uphill climb to bring his alma mater back to relevance and its glory days.