Who is Tavita Pritchard? What to Know About Stanford's Next HC Hired by Andrew Luck

The Washington Commanders are losing quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard to his alma mater.

Stanford is hiring Pritchard as its next football head coach, the Cardinal announced Friday.

Pritchard played as a quarterback for Stanford from 2006 to 2009.

He lost his starting job during his senior season in 2009 to Andrew Luck, who was hired as the Cardinal's general manager last November.

Pritchard joined Stanford's coaching staff in 2010. He served as offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2022, a span during which the Cardinal sent eight offensive players to the NFL, before leaving to work with the Commanders ahead of the 2023 campaign.

He coached Jayden Daniels during his 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year season, during which Daniels broke the NFL's single-season rushing record for rookie quarterbacks while leading the Commanders as far as the NFC Championship game.

Pritchard interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator position last January, although Liam Coen ultimately hired former Minnesota Vikings staffer Grant Udinski instead.

He will now replace Troy Taylor, who was fired by Stanford in March. Interim head coach Reich, who has since led the Cardinal to a 4-7 record in 2025, will remain with the program as a senior advisor to Pritchard.

Pritchard is set to leave the Commanders after Sunday night's Week 13 home game against the Denver Broncos, according to Stanford.

Commanders tight end Zach Ertz, who joined Stanford the year after Pritchard left, offered his "full support" of both Pritchard and Luck in a statement shared by the Cardinal.

"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," Ertz said in a statement.

The program also shared statements of support from Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Marcus Mariota, who credited Pritchard with helping him play "the best football of my career."

The Cardinal have not recorded a winning record since 2018, during Pritchard's first season as OC. The program is a combined 7-16 in two seasons in the ACC.

Luck said Pritchard would now be tasked with building "on the foundation of this season and lead Stanford football to its next great era."

Stanford is set to wrap up the 2025 season with a Saturday night home game against No. 9 Notre Dame. Pritchard will then begin his tenure as head coach with a Tuesday press conference, according to the program.