Tavita Pritchard is the Perfect Coach for Stanford Football

Tavita Pritchard is introduced as the new Stanford football head coach by Andrew Luck
Tavita Pritchard is introduced as the new Stanford football head coach by Andrew Luck | Stanford

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On Tuesday morning, Stanford held a press conference to introduce its new head coach, Tavita Pritchard.

Many Cardinal legends were in the building, such as Heisman winner Jim Plunkett, legendary women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer, and current men’s basketball head coach Kyle Smith, as they all waited to hear Pritchard's name announced by football sports information director, Brian Brownfield.

Following the intro, Athletic Director John Donahoe spoke on the hire, and how excited he is for a new era on The Farm.

Pritchard was introduced along with current general manager Andrew Luck, who had nothing but great things to say about his former teammate. Then, Pritchard spoke on coming to Stanford and how excited he is for the process.

Finally, they were asked questions by the media regarding schemes, goals, and plans for the future. You can hear the takeaways from the presser here.

With the announcement of the hire, a large swath of Stanford fans on social media were initially disappointed. While Pritchard is a Stanford legend, many believed that without head coaching experience he may not be the right hire at Stanford. And at first, I agreed, until I listened to the press conference.

Sometimes coaches come in a bit shy, and don’t truly seem ready for the moment. But Pritchard stepped into the role right away, and looks like he is the perfect guy for the job. He came off as ready to make the necessary changes to bring Stanford back to the top.

He spent 12 years on The Farm coaching different positions, making different strides from graduate assistant to defensive assistant to quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, and eventually to offensive coordinator. He played with a chip on his shoulder, and coached with one as well. He does things the "Stanford way," and that's what a hire like this is all about.

The moment the presser started, it was easy to tell that Luck absolutely loves Pritchard. By the way they spoke to each other it’s easy to tell that the two have the utmost respect for each other. 

Multiple times, both Pritchard and Luck alluded to their QB battle, in which Luck ultimately won and went on to be selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft.

They joked, laughed, and had a great time while still being serious enough to take the moment seriously. That shows that both are able to joke around as friends, be serious as coworkers, and have a bond that can positively affect the future of Stanford football as a whole.

When asked questions, Pritchard gave honest yet confident answers. When asked about positives, he answered with confidence. When asked tough questions, he answered with respect and positivity, showing that he is absolutely ready for an opportunity as head coach here at Stanford.

There’s no more of a moral victory that you can get than this. Not only did he provide a positive outlook regarding the future of Stanford, but the way he acts and treats others shows that Pritchard is not only a phenomenal role model for student-athletes on The Farm, but truly the perfect guy for the job.

Pritchard showed us why he's the perfect guy for the job at his introductory press conference. Now he just has to go out and turn around the entire program.

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Lucca Mazzi
LUCCA MAZZIE

Born in Menlo Park, California, Lucca is a 16 year old sports journalist who has done past work for College and High School Sports. He has covered teams such as Stanford, Michigan State, and Saint Mary's, while mainly focusing on Football, Basketball, and Baseball.

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