Assessing Stanford Football's Hire of Tavita Pritchard

Stanford Cardinal has appointed Tavita Pritchard as the new head coach for their football program, succeeding in their search to find a leader with strong ties to the university. Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback from 2006-09, previously served as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Stanford before moving to the NFL as a quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders. His familiarity with Stanford and experience in both college and professional football are seen as advantageous in enhancing the program's competitiveness, particularly in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal.

Despite some criticism regarding his tenure as offensive coordinator, where the team struggled, Pritchard did not have primary responsibility for play-calling, an aspect managed by former head coach David Shaw. Pritchard's reputation as a skilled recruiter, having been instrumental in securing top talent like Christian McCaffrey and Kevin Hogan for Stanford, is expected to play a significant role in