Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders are preparing to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football in Week 13.
However, ahead of that game, it was announced that Quinn’s quarterbacks coach, Tavita Pritchard, will be leaving for a new job. Pritchard will be leaving Washington to take over as the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal.
Sources: Stanford is hiring Tavita Pritchard as the school’s next head coach. He’s a former quarterback, assistant coach and coordinator at the school, including a run on staff from 2010 to 2022. pic.twitter.com/vpPu1LqHmQ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 28, 2025
Pritchard will reportedly coach his final game with the Commanders in Week 13 before heading to California to start his new job.
The coach was originally brought to Washington to be the quarterbacks coach under Ron Rivera. However, Quinn decided to keep Pritchard in place upon taking over ahead of the 2024 season. Pritchard oversaw Jayden Daniels’ Rookie of the Year season in 2024.
For Pritchard, the chance to go home was likely too much to pass up. Pritchard grew up on the West Coast, attending high school in the Seattle area. Pritchard played at Stanford from 2006 to 2009 and began his coaching career at the school in 2010.
Pritchard coached at Stanford in several different roles from 2010 to 2022 before taking the job with the Commanders. Stanford is the only school Pritchard has ever coached at, so it’s fitting his first chance to be the head man will come with the school.
Stanford has been looking for a head coach since last spring. Previous head coach Troy Taylor was fired in March, and general manager Andrew Luck tabbed his former Indianapolis Colts head coach, Frank Reich, as the interim for this season.
The Cardinal have not been to a bowl game since 2018, so Pritchard will have his work cut out for him if he wants to turn the program around.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Tavita Pritchard named new Stanford head coach
