STANFORD, Calif. – Tavita Pritchard has been named Stanford’s Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football as announced Friday by General Manager Andrew Luck.
The 37th head coach in program history, Pritchard, a 2009 graduate of Stanford, currently serves as the quarterbacks coach of the Washington Commanders and will start in his role immediately following the Commanders’ Nov. 30 game against Denver. Pritchard will be introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.
“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,” said Luck. “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.”
“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,” said Pritchard. “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 is completing his third season as quarterbacks coach of the Commanders, having mentored Jayden Daniels, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Howell and Marcus Mariota. During his tenure with Washington, Pritchard played a major role in developing the Commanders’ offense, highlighted by an appearance in the 2024 NFC Championship Game. Pritchard returns to The Farm in the spirit of Stanford’s rich legacy of NFL coaching talent, including Bill Walsh, Denny Green, Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw and Vic Fangio.
Pritchard guided Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, through one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NFL history in 2024, as Daniels was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, qualified for the Pro Bowl and established multiple records in his debut. Daniels, who totaled 3,568 yards, 25 passing touchdowns and a 69.0 percent completion rate, finished the season with a combined 31 touchdowns, which ranks third all-time for a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
“Tavita will be a fantastic head coach, and I believe he will be especially effective at Stanford,” said Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who is in his second season with the organization. “Players gravitate to him, and he quickly earned their respect and mine. 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.”
“If I had a son playing college football, I’d want him to play for Tavita Pritchard,” said Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. “Tavita has a unique ability to build relationships, and I’ve never seen a quarterback room as tight and unified as the one he has molded.”
“I’m playing the best football of my career, and Tavita is helping make that possible,” said Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota. “His weekly process and preparation are elite. Tavita understands exactly what each team member needs, and he breathes confidence into us. Tavita’s connection with players is second to none, and his demeanor sets the tone. He lets you play free and genuinely wants players to be the best versions of themselves.”
Pritchard replaces Frank Reich, who has guided Stanford to its highest win total in five seasons as the interim head coach in 2025. Reich, who combined a 14-year playing career as an NFL quarterback with 18 seasons in various coaching roles, will remain as a senior advisor to Pritchard moving forward.
“I am so grateful to have served as interim coach at Stanford,” said Reich, a member of six Super Bowl teams overall as either a coach or player. “I believe Tavita is the perfect builder to help continue Stanford’s mission of success. I am proud to continue to work closely with Stanford Football and am eager to support Tavita in every way.”
Prior to the NFL, Pritchard played quarterback at Stanford from 2006-09, where he appeared in 31 games and made 20 starts, throwing for 2,865 yards and 15 touchdowns. Pritchard made his first career start on Oct. 6, 2007, against USC, engineering one of the biggest upsets in college football history with a 24-23 win over No. 2 USC when the Cardinal was a 41-point underdog. Pritchard’s game-winning 10-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradford on fourth down with 49 seconds remaining in regulation secured his spot in Stanford football lore.
Following his graduation, Pritchard began a lengthy coaching career with the Cardinal, serving in a variety of roles during a stretch that featured 10 consecutive bowl games, nine straight Big Game victories and appearances in three Rose Bowls (2013-14, 2016), Fiesta Bowl (2012) and Orange Bowl (2011). After joining the staff as a graduate assistant in 2010, Pritchard served as defensive assistant (2011-12) and running backs coach (2013).
Pritchard was promoted to the role of quarterbacks/wide receivers coach in 2014-17, coaching quarterback Kevin Hogan as the Cardinal ended the season with dominant victories over USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Iowa in the Rose Bowl. From 2018-22, Pritchard was elevated to serve as the Andrew Luck Director of Offense and Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach.
“Getting the chance to work with Tavita again in Washington has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my career,” said Commanders’ tight end and Stanford’s 2012 unanimous first-team All-American Zach Ertz. “I’ve seen firsthand how much Tavita has grown since we were together at Stanford – as a coach, as a leader and as a person. He connects with players at every level and brings out the best in everyone around him. I have full confidence that he and Andrew will build a Stanford football program that every former player, every alum and the entire Stanford community will be incredibly proud of.”
The selection of Pritchard as the Cardinal’s head coach is the latest in a series of important steps to help launch a new winning era. Stanford University President Jonathan Levin appointed Luck as the program’s general manager on Nov. 30, 2024, and Luck has already helped raise more than $100 million – anchored by a generous $50 million gift from football alumnus Bradford M. Freeman ’64.
“Tavita Pritchard is the next important piece in our comprehensive effort to restore Stanford football to a winning tradition,” said Stanford’s Jaquish & Kenninger Director and Chair of Athletics John Donahoe, who began his tenure on Sept. 8, 2025, after serving as former CEO of NIKE, eBay and ServiceNow. “Tavita is an exceptional leader and his appointment, coupled with the strong fundraising success we are experiencing, will help build the foundation for our success and leadership in football.”
A native of Tacoma, Washington, Pritchard earned a communication degree from Stanford. He and his wife, Caroline, met as undergraduates and have four children, three of whom were born at Stanford Hospital.
