Jun 8, 2023; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard (M) talks to Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) and Commanders quarterback Jacoby Brissett (12) during day three of minicamp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park, held inside the training bubble due to poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke in Ashburn. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

When USA Today and ESPN did their rankings for the offseason college head football coaching hires, Stanford hiring Tavita Pritchard ranked towards the bottom of both lists. ESPN giving the hire a B-/C+.

READ: USA Today ranks every college football head coach hire from best to worst this cycle

READ: Coaching Carousel: ESPN every College Football head coach hire from best to worst

The reasons for this are obvious. Pritchard has never been a head coach before and there’s a belief that the main reason he got the job was because he’s a Stanford alum who knows Andrew Luck well. There simply is a lacking in belief that Pritchard can be the guy to get Stanford back to the top. While these are legitimate concerns, there are five reasons why I think Pritchard could end up being a great hire for Stanford.

#1. Pritchard has extensive coaching experience at Stanford: Pritchard was a coach at Stanford in some form from 2010 to 2022. He held the following roles: Graduate Assistant, Defensive Assistant, Running Backs, Quarterback/Wide Receivers, and Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback. He’s coached both sides of the ball, has experience as a position coach at multiple positions, and also been an offensive coordinator. Something that should make a good head coach is somebody who has coached a variety of different spots and held a variety of different roles. Pritchard checks off that box in spades.

#2. Pritchard has NFL experience: Pritchard was the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders from 2023 until the end of last season. He’s been around the NFL game and has worked with players at the highest level of the sport. That experience coaching guys at the highest level is something that should serve him well as he returns to the college ranks. He knows what it takes to get to the NFL and what it takes to stay there. That’s something that should make him good head coach and also help him connect with players who have NFL aspirations.

#3. Pritchard knows Stanford extremely well: While I think Stanford needs to be careful assuming an alum will always do the best job, I don’t think being an alum is a bad thing. I think on the whole it’s a good thing provided you have other qualities going for you as well. Pritchard is well aware of the challenges that Stanford poses on the academic front and what kind of kids are going to be drawn to Stanford. That can sometimes be a challenge for coaches. He’s going into this knowing exactly how to sell Stanford and having played at Stanford and being an alum, he can testify firsthand how much of an impact Stanford can have on your life. That’s something that should resonate with recruits.

#4. Pritchard could form a Polynesian pipeline to Stanford: As one of the few Polynesian (Samoan) head coaches in college football, Pritchard should be able to tap into Polynesian recruiting better than other coaches. Polynesians make up a large chunk of the college football recruiting base and yet with so few head coaches who are Polynesian, the chance to play for a head coach who has the same ethnic background as them is a huge draw. Pritchard takes great pride in his heritage and is certain to connect well recruits and families of that same background.

#5. Pritchard is young and hungry to win at Stanford: At just 39 years of age, Pritchard is young and hungry to win. And not just win. But win at Stanford. He cares deeply about The Farm and if it all works out, he’d happily stay at Stanford for his entire career. If you are Stanford, you want a guy leading your football program that is all in on the program. Not a guy who is looking to use Stanford as a steppingstone job to an SEC program.

Pritchard is a guy who is going to be pouring everything he has into the program and the coaching staff he is putting around him reflect that. He’s got a nice diversity of backgrounds in the staff he’s assembled, showing that he is willing to learn, grow, and surround himself with people who want to win just as much as he does. If you are Stanford, that’s a huge plus.

Note: Cardinal Sports Report has you covered for all the latest news on Stanford as they begin the Tavita Pritchard era.

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