Andrew Luck’s New Role at Stanford: Why “General Manager” is a Misnomer

Andrew Luck’s role as Stanford’s first-ever General Manager for Football excites fans as he takes on expansive responsibilities in leadership, player evaluation, and NIL fundraising

Oct 29, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck (12) reacts after the game against the Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Stanford defeated USC 56-48 in three overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Andrew Luck, one of Stanford’s most iconic alumni, has indicated a return to his alma mater to assume a role unlike any seen in college football. As the Cardinal’s newly minted General Manager for Football, Luck is redefining what leadership in college athletics can look like. His new responsibilities transcend the boundaries of what recently created college football general manager positions have typically entailed, blending the duties of a roster architect with those of a team president. 

Luck now stands at the forefront of a paradigm shift and could reshape how programs operate in the upcoming NIL revenue-sharing era. Very few candidates are as uniquely qualified for this role as Luck. The legendary signal caller’s football resume speaks for itself, finishing as a Heisman Trophy runner-up, being the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft, and leading the Colts to a winning record every year he was healthy. However, beyond his football IQ and accolades, his deep connection to Stanford makes his acceptance of the role special.

“This is home,” Luck told ESPN, detailing his return. After retiring from the NFL in 2019 following a series of injuries, he earned a master’s degree in education from Stanford and worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Palo Alto High School. Stanford has hit the jackpot, finding not only someone with incredible acumen but unwavering loyalty to the institution. 

Luck’s role at Stanford is representative of a broader transformation within college athletics: the rise of NIL general managers. As schools grapple with the complexities of NIL deals, the transfer portal, and impending revenue-sharing models, they’re reimagining traditional professional "front offices" in increasingly creative ways to fit the collegiate model. 

Previously, fundraising was the most critical part of a successful NIL program. Those with the most NIL money could outspend their rivals. Direct institutional athletic payments of up to $20,500,000 per year are expected to be implemented next school year as a part of the House v. NCAA settlement agreement. With a NIL salary cap, the focus is moving away from raising NIL funds and towards proper resource allocation. 

To account for this shift in college sports, GM positions have opened up at schools nationwide to mirror the player valuation expertise pro teams have leveraged for decades. The position at the collegiate level is still a new concept, and schools are experimenting with different structuring of these roles. 

Unlike traditional NIL directors or recruiting coordinators, most college general managers operate as hybrids of both, managing the intersection of player personnel and NIL opportunities. Some institutions, like South Florida and Boise State, have plans to build a multi-person front office with additional responsibilities beyond roster construction, including revenue generation, community business NIL development, and education. Other schools have hired general managers with narrow responsibilities in single sports roster construction and cap management. 

Luck is not the first celebrity NIL general manager. Earlier this year, Adrian Wojnarowski accepted a GM position at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University; both Luck and Woj have tremendous advantages in fundraising, recruiting, and soliciting brand partnerships. However, while Woj’s responsibilities largely end with those tasks, Luck’s role at Stanford is much more expansive. 

Stanford has molded Luck’s GM role to encompass strategic leadership on and off the field. What sets Luck’s position apart from any other college general manager is the sheer breadth of his responsibilities. He isn’t just a face for the program; he’s a decision-maker overseeing the entire football operation. 

On the field, he is tasked with overseeing player evaluation, recruiting strategy, managing the coaching staff, and managing the student-athlete experience. Off the field, he has several business responsibilities, including sponsorships, alumni engagement, and fundraising. Luck has his hands full, but if his football work ethic showed us anything, it is that he is perfectly capable of diving into challenges thrown his way. 

Luck’s role appears to grant him autonomy over the football program. Describing his role as simply a GM is a complete misnomer. Luck has not been tapped into this role as just a GM; he is about to become the Emperor of Stanford Football. With this change will come some unintended consequences. For any college coach around the country who has held full autonomy of their program, any involvement of a NIL GM is to bring some change in responsibility and independence. 

For a position description like Luck’s that grants tremendous authority to the GM, coaches might have a tough time adjusting to a loss of command and vision over their program. Ultimately, a positive collaboration between Luck and head coach Troy Taylor could lead to a united effort to bring the Cardinal back to the AP Poll, something that hasn’t happened since Week 2 of the 2019 season. This interpersonal dynamic is the most crucial element of the success of the Stanford GM experiment. 

The Cardinal, a perennial top-25 program throughout the 2010s, has struggled amid conference realignment, NIL, and transfer portal. Stanford has found itself behind the 8-ball due to its slow adaptations to the changing landscape of college football; as Luck put it to ESPN, the athletics department was “slow to the draw” –– now, with his hiring, they have emerged as one of the most innovative players in college football as NIL 2.0 emerges in July of 2025. 

As programs grapple with NIL, revenue sharing, and increasingly professionalized player management, the traditional structure of college football leadership is rapidly becoming antiquated. Stanford’s GM role may foreshadow a different type of NIL general manager. If schools have iconic figures like Luck, why not pursue them? Playing experience has been almost a prerequisite for NFL front-office work; adding the legendary status of a player like Luck makes him dangerous at the college level, not only at player evaluation but also at the ever-important alumni fundraising function. 

If Luck succeeds, he won’t just transform Stanford—he’ll provide a blueprint for the future of college football. In a sport where tradition and innovation often collide, Luck’s expansive role could lead other notable figures to return home and guide their programs to glory. Former athletes interested in front-office work will likely have a good shot at returning home to their institution with the immediate credibility they can provide. As long as their vision isn’t too divergent from the incumbent coaching staff, they are positioned to make a positive impact.