It's Tavita Pritchard! - Printable Version
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RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - needle - 11-28-2025
Bottom line: Pritchard is a "high-floor" coach who will immediately boost Stanford's QB recruiting, mesh well with AL's program-building efforts and present enough institutional credibility to (hopefully) fight for (still) needed changes in admissions and more institutional/community support.
I neither love nor hate the hire, but let's unpack Pritchard's strengths:
1.) Far too many view Stanford P4 football as a dubious proposition. Pritchard does not, as evidenced by his acceptance of the job, and we know AL does not. The fear with many people who are, let's face it, more proven coaches, is that they would have walked in and after a few short months simply bailed after experiencing Stanford's poor crowds and admissions/transfer limitations, as well as the shaky status of the ACC and all that travel. We can trust Pritchard to be all in, and that means a lot in 2025.
2.) He's got enough NFL cred to walk into any top-rated QB's home/dorm room and get a receptive audience. Pritchard recruited and coached two legit NFL guys, Mills and McKee, and certainly can boast of having his name attached to phenom Jayden Daniels. How many CFB head coaches can say the same? Not very many, and, as the past few years have shown, Stanford desperately needs help in landing and keeping elite QB talent. Pritchard is as ideally suited for the job as anyone who was a serious candidate to be Stanford HC.
3.) No, I don't claim to know Pritchard, but I know he knows AL. In 2025, a fully engaged and happy AL is Stanford's best shot at returning to football relevance. I believe that a common trait among successful HCs is being a control freak, and I think that many who might have otherwise considered Stanford simply don't want to deal with a strong GM like Luck. But, with Pritchard, we can be confident that he knows exactly who AL is and is comfortable (hopefully confident) that having AL do his thing on gameday and even during practices can actually be an asset, not a distraction. We know that AL is working the administration to more fully embrace Stanford football and to fundraise, and I suspect Pritchard will be viewed by admin and likely boosters as a great wingman on that front.
Pritchard truly can hit the ground running, while with other coaching hires there would have naturally been an adjustment period. So, these next few months will be pretty exciting, imo.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - GK3 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 04:59 PM)BobK Wrote: While I believe in the Peter Principle I feared a re tread I’m excited I’m happy
The key as with any manager is the staff
The other key we so need a QB. Maybe he brings Mariota with him lol
We seem to forget that with most things in life, there is a First Time for most of them. Sometimes that leads to long term success sometimes it doesn't. Untile he proves he can't, he deserves our support. It is now up to Tavita, Luck, et al to measure up and get us back to winning. It if happens it will be one of the great achievements in sports. Hope springs eternal. I hope he can keep a good part of the defensive guys, they are showing out.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - d4cohn - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 05:25 PM)needle Wrote: Bottom line: Pritchard is a "high-floor" coach who will immediately boost Stanford's QB recruiting, mesh well with AL's program-building efforts and present enough institutional credibility to (hopefully) fight for (still) needed changes in admissions and more institutional/community support.
I neither love nor hate the hire, but let's unpack Pritchard's strengths:
1.) Far too many view Stanford P4 football as a dubious proposition. Pritchard does not, as evidenced by his acceptance of the job, and we know AL does not. The fear with many people who are, let's face it, more proven coaches, is that they would have walked in and after a few short months simply bailed after experiencing Stanford's poor crowds and admissions/transfer limitations, as well as the shaky status of the ACC and all that travel. We can trust Pritchard to be all in, and that means a lot in 2025.
2.) He's got enough NFL cred to walk into any top-rated QB's home/dorm room and get a receptive audience. Pritchard recruited and coached two legit NFL guys, Mills and McKee, and certainly can boast of having his name attached to phenom Jayden Daniels. How many CFB head coaches can say the same? Not very many, and, as the past few years have shown, Stanford desperately needs help in landing and keeping elite QB talent. Pritchard is as ideally suited for the job as anyone who was a serious candidate to be Stanford HC.
3.) No, I don't claim to know Pritchard, but I know he knows AL. In 2025, a fully engaged and happy AL is Stanford's best shot at returning to football relevance. I believe that a common trait among successful HCs is being a control freak, and I think that many who might have otherwise considered Stanford simply don't want to deal with a strong GM like Luck. But, with Pritchard, we can be confident that he knows exactly who AL is and is comfortable (hopefully confident) that having AL do his thing on gameday and even during practices can actually be an asset, not a distraction. We know that AL is working the administration to more fully embrace Stanford football and to fundraise, and I suspect Pritchard will be viewed by admin and likely boosters as a great wingman on that front.
Pritchard truly can hit the ground running, while with other coaching hires there would have naturally been an adjustment period. So, these next few months will be pretty exciting, imo.
I don't disagree with most/a lot of strengths you point out, aside from this being a "high floor" hire. As Tavita understands well as a consummate player/professional, you are what your "tape"/record says you are. So the genuine question is why wasn't Tavita able to pull off all of this in 2019, 2021 and 2022? One could argue NIL, which ok (but our 2021 and 2022 rosters had plenty of future NFL guys on those teams).
The other argument is Coach Shaw (along with our AD and university leadership) wasn't invested enough at the end of the David Shaw era. Another plausible argument, but creating motivation and momentum is part of this (rebuilding) job.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - norcard10 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 05:25 PM)needle Wrote: Bottom line: Pritchard is a "high-floor" coach who will immediately boost Stanford's QB recruiting, mesh well with AL's program-building efforts and present enough institutional credibility to (hopefully) fight for (still) needed changes in admissions and more institutional/community support.
I neither love nor hate the hire, but let's unpack Pritchard's strengths:
1.) Far too many view Stanford P4 football as a dubious proposition. Pritchard does not, as evidenced by his acceptance of the job, and we know AL does not. The fear with many people who are, let's face it, more proven coaches, is that they would have walked in and after a few short months simply bailed after experiencing Stanford's poor crowds and admissions/transfer limitations, as well as the shaky status of the ACC and all that travel. We can trust Pritchard to be all in, and that means a lot in 2025.
2.) He's got enough NFL cred to walk into any top-rated QB's home/dorm room and get a receptive audience. Pritchard recruited and coached two legit NFL guys, Mills and McKee, and certainly can boast of having his name attached to phenom Jayden Daniels. How many CFB head coaches can say the same? Not very many, and, as the past few years have shown, Stanford desperately needs help in landing and keeping elite QB talent. Pritchard is as ideally suited for the job as anyone who was a serious candidate to be Stanford HC.
3.) No, I don't claim to know Pritchard, but I know he knows AL. In 2025, a fully engaged and happy AL is Stanford's best shot at returning to football relevance. I believe that a common trait among successful HCs is being a control freak, and I think that many who might have otherwise considered Stanford simply don't want to deal with a strong GM like Luck. But, with Pritchard, we can be confident that he knows exactly who AL is and is comfortable (hopefully confident) that having AL do his thing on gameday and even during practices can actually be an asset, not a distraction. We know that AL is working the administration to more fully embrace Stanford football and to fundraise, and I suspect Pritchard will be viewed by admin and likely boosters as a great wingman on that front.
Pritchard truly can hit the ground running, while with other coaching hires there would have naturally been an adjustment period. So, these next few months will be pretty exciting, imo.
Absolutely not a high floor hire. Mills is in the NFL in spite of the lack of QB development at Stanford. Remind me, how many Stanford QBs are starting in the NFL currently?? When Shaw had resigned, people openly opined why Tavita was even sticking around. I am grossly underwhelmed by this hire.
If Mora wanted this job and Luck gave it to Pritchard, it's malpractice.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - JJJ - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 04:58 PM)ELcat Wrote: Did folks read the quotes in his press release? Pretty impressive that they were able to get a bunch of lofty quotes from Dan Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury, Marcus Mariota, and Zach Ertz.
Agreed. I’m going with optimism.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - TrumpCard - 11-28-2025
The program was already dead. Maybe they’re conserving resources for basketball since it requires fewer players and thus a smaller number of academic compromises.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - norcard10 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 05:58 PM)TrumpCard Wrote: The program was already dead. Maybe they’re conserving resources for basketball since it requires fewer players and thus a smaller number of academic compromises.
i dont get the academic components bent.
So many transfers were non degree candidates like gulbranson. It was clear standards were no longer going to be as much of an of an obstacle as in the past. coupled with stronger NIL, stanford could be Notre Dame level competitive with the right coach.
On the bright side, stadium tix will continue to be cheap with empty choice seating.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - thunder_chik - 11-28-2025
Aack, trying to stay positive, but this choice seems so "pedestrian and banal". (Thank you, Professor Robert McGinn for this immutable--at least in my memory--phrase.)
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Spiny_Norman - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 05:05 PM)ELcat Wrote: https://x.com/blutman27/status/1994528637916516571?s=46
For those who said others were not interested.
I think it was pretty well acknowledged that the Stanford job would be in demand among a certain subset of coaches. But it is also generally acknowledged that no other school was really interested in Tavita Pritchard.
I appreciate all of the endorsements for Pritchard from people who worked alongside him. But their words of support sound like someone who would be a great selection for a QB coach. Will he still be working hands on with the QB room as a head coach? His head coaching strengths are less evident (yet). We'll have to see how he does at hiring a staff, retaining current players, and recruiting transfers (especially a QB and OL).
How would people feel if he retains the OC job for himself?
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - calfan - 11-28-2025
Yikes guys. This is an awful hire for you all. Not sour grapes- just came over to the board to see what reactions would be (and they're pretty much in line with what I expected). Horrible hire, yikes
Some of the (few) positive posts here sound like the same posts made about Taylor. Starting to doubt Luck has the management experience needed to return y'all to glory. Seems like he just hired his buddy. This might be the worst hire of the coaching carousel so far. Sorry
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - norcard10 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 06:22 PM)calfan Wrote: Yikes guys. This is an awful hire for you all. Not sour grapes- just came over to the board to see what reactions would be (and they're pretty much in line with what I expected). Horrible hire, yikes
Some of the (few) positive posts here sound like the same posts made about Taylor. Starting to doubt Luck has the management experience needed to return y'all to glory. Seems like he just hired his buddy. This might be the worst hire of the coaching carousel so far. Sorry
watch cal hire petersen and this place explode. i was legitimately excited about troy taylor. this is such a move in the opposite direction. would have preferred reich to this as well.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - calfan - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 06:26 PM)norcard10 Wrote:I agree- I think Taylor was a reasonable hire (not outstanding, but reasonable) and there was a rational argument to celebrate. this is super weak(11-28-2025, 06:22 PM)calfan Wrote: Yikes guys. This is an awful hire for you all. Not sour grapes- just came over to the board to see what reactions would be (and they're pretty much in line with what I expected). Horrible hire, yikes
Some of the (few) positive posts here sound like the same posts made about Taylor. Starting to doubt Luck has the management experience needed to return y'all to glory. Seems like he just hired his buddy. This might be the worst hire of the coaching carousel so far. Sorry
watch cal hire petersen and this place explode. i was legitimately excited about troy taylor. this is such a move in the opposite direction. would have preferred reich to this as well.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Vandelay - 11-28-2025
The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Tavita is the ultimate yes man for Andrew Luck and won't be coming into the program with his own pesky ideas of how to run things.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - BigJohn043 - 11-28-2025
From an objective resume perspective this is a dud.
The bull case is that we really know this guy. He knows what great at Stanford looks like. I think the one thing that we missed from Shaw is that he really was a great recruiter at Stanford. Hopefully another alum can do the same.
I will be optimistic until proven otherwise....
RE: 76lsjumb - MV72018 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 04:00 PM)76lsjumb Wrote:(11-28-2025, 03:24 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
I see; because I am not euphoric about hiring a retread buddy, I’m a doomsayer! Brilliant argument!
(11-28-2025, 04:00 PM)76lsjumb Wrote:(11-28-2025, 03:24 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
I see; if one doesn’t express euphoria about hiring a retread, one is a doomsayer. Great argument!!!
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
76lsjumb - 76lsjumb - 11-28-2025
MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764383580' Wrote: 1764383580[/url]']
76lsjumb dateline='[url=tel:1764370835' Wrote: 1764370835[/url]']
MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764368667' Wrote: 1764368667[/url]']
Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
I see; because I am not euphoric about hiring a retread buddy, I’m a doomsayer! Brilliant argument!
76lsjumb dateline='[url=tel:1764370835' Wrote: 1764370835[/url]']
MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764368667' Wrote: 1764368667[/url]']
Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
I see; if one doesn’t express euphoria about hiring a retread, one is a doomsayer. Great argument!!!
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
Thank you! I would have appreciated calling my comment simply brilliant, but brilliant AND great is even better. (Although it was really intended only as an observation, not an argument. Not much point in arguing with someone who’s made up his mind.)
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - cardcrimson - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 04:00 PM)chrisk Wrote: Note that Tavita will join Stanford after his game at Denver Sunday night.
A lot of candidates could not start so quickly.
Oh yeah! Then again, most candidates could start that quickly as their current employees wouldn't want them around.
This is an incredibly uninspiring hire.
(11-28-2025, 04:00 PM)76lsjumb Wrote:(11-28-2025, 03:24 PM)MV72018 Wrote: Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
If this were the right hire, why not make it six months ago when Taylor hit the door. This reeks of nobody else wanted the job. . . .
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - norcard10 - 11-28-2025
https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1p97hqe/thamel_sources_stanford_is_hiring_tavita/
Reactions from other CFB fans. General consensus as here.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - KartyFan - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 06:45 PM)calfan Wrote:(11-28-2025, 06:26 PM)norcard10 Wrote:I agree- I think Taylor was a reasonable hire (not outstanding, but reasonable) and there was a rational argument to celebrate. this is super weak(11-28-2025, 06:22 PM)calfan Wrote: Yikes guys. This is an awful hire for you all. Not sour grapes- just came over to the board to see what reactions would be (and they're pretty much in line with what I expected). Horrible hire, yikes
Some of the (few) positive posts here sound like the same posts made about Taylor. Starting to doubt Luck has the management experience needed to return y'all to glory. Seems like he just hired his buddy. This might be the worst hire of the coaching carousel so far. Sorry
watch cal hire petersen and this place explode. i was legitimately excited about troy taylor. this is such a move in the opposite direction. would have preferred reich to this as well.
Wait, but it turns out Taylor was a horrible hire, right? He did not improve the team and ended up with enough behavioral issues to have him fired off cycle?
So maybe any level of confidence in assessing this hire is misplaced, and we will see how it turns out?
I will also choose optimism because it’s more fun, and I like Tavita.
RE: 76lsjumb - MV72018 - 11-28-2025
(11-28-2025, 08:04 PM)76lsjumb Wrote:MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764383580' Wrote: 1764383580[/url]']
76lsjumb dateline='[url=tel:1764370835' Wrote: 1764370835[/url]']
MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764368667' Wrote: 1764368667[/url]']
Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
I see; because I am not euphoric about hiring a retread buddy, I’m a doomsayer! Brilliant argument!
76lsjumb dateline='[url=tel:1764370835' Wrote: 1764370835[/url]']
MV72018 dateline='[url=tel:1764368667' Wrote: 1764368667[/url]']
Marty, why the exclamation point? Surely you can't be truly excited? From where I sit, this is a major disappointment. First Taylor, then Pritchard. Color me unimpressed, exclamation point. So much for the momentum that started to build up after the Big Game win.
I see; if one doesn’t express euphoria about hiring a retread, one is a doomsayer. Great argument!!!
Because you and your fellow doomsayers know so much more about Stanford football than Andrew Luck…
Thank you! I would have appreciated calling my comment simply brilliant, but brilliant AND great is even better. (Although it was really intended only as an observation, not an argument. Not much point in arguing with someone who’s made up his mind.)
I can’t find where I called your argument “great”! Are you the POTUS?