Stanford Hires Commanders Assistant, Ex-QB Tavita Pritchard As Head Coach

He led the Cardinal to one of college football's greatest upsets as a player.

Tavita Pritchard (center) worked as a Stanford assistant for 13 years. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

To guide its program to the future, Stanford is reportedly looking to the past.

The Cardinal are hiring Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard as their next head coach, according to a Friday afternoon report from Pete Thamel of ESPN. Pritchard, 38, played four years for Stanford and worked as an assistant coach for 13.

He is best known among college football fans for his actions in the Cardinal's 2007 upset of No. 2 USC—at the time the largest point-spread upset in the history of the sport. Debuting against the Trojans, he tossed the game-winning score in the final minute.

More recently, Pritchard has worked as Washington's quarterbacks coach in 2023, helping Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels post one of the sport's best-ever rookie seasons a year ago.

Stanford dismissed coach Troy Taylor in March amid allegations that he bullied staffers; ex-NFL coach Frank Reich served as the Cardinal's interim coach this season. The team is 4-7 this season and 12th in the ACC ahead of its home finale against No. 9 Notre Dame.

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