Washington Commanders | |
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Position: | Quarterbacks coach |
Personal information | |
Born: | Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | February 20, 1987
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Clover Park (Lakewood, Washington) |
College: | Stanford (2006–2009) |
Career history | |
As a coach: | |
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Tavita Pritchard (ta-VEE-tuh; born February 20, 1987) is an American football coach who is the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Stanford University from 2018 to 2022.
Pritchard played college football for the Stanford Cardinal from 2006 to 2009. His 24–23 victory over the USC Trojans in 2007, in which he made his first start, is considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Pritchard had no NFL contract offers after graduation and returned to Stanford in 2010 as a graduate assistant. After having various assistant roles, he was named offensive coordinator in 2018 and held that position until leaving in 2023 to coach in the NFL.
Pritchard graduated from Clover Park High School in Lakewood, Washington, where he threw for 5,323 yards and 55 touchdowns in his high school career. [1]
Pritchard received his first start at Stanford in 2007 against the top-ranked USC Trojans, after starter T. C. Ostrander suffered a seizure the week before. Though Stanford was a 41-point underdog, he led them to an 24–23 victory. [2] [3] The game is considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history.
Pritchard was replaced as the starting quarterback by redshirt freshman Andrew Luck during the 2009 season. [4] After Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand and had surgery prior to the 2009 Sun Bowl, Pritchard started the game for the Cardinal. He went 8 for 19 for 118 yards and two interceptions in the 31–27 loss to Oklahoma. Pritchard went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. He tried out with the San Francisco 49ers but was not offered a contract. While at Stanford, Pritchard majored in communications and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.[ citation needed ]
Pritchard worked as a volunteer assistant for the Stanford football team in 2010, and in 2011, was hired as a defensive assistant football coach at Stanford by new head football coach David Shaw. In January 2013, Pritchard was elevated to the role of running backs coach. In December 2013, he was promoted to quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, succeeding Mike Sanford. [5] In December 2017, Pritchard was promoted to offensive coordinator when Mike Bloomgren left to become head coach at Rice. [6]
On February 24, 2023, Pritchard was hired by the Washington Commanders as their quarterbacks coach under head coach Ron Rivera. [4] [7]
On February 15, 2024, Pritchard was retained by the Commanders as their quarterbacks coach under head coach Dan Quinn. [8]
Pritchard's father David was a starting center at Washington State in 1981 and an uncle is former NFL quarterback Jack "The Throwin' Samoan" Thompson. [1] He is third in a family of eleven children. He grew up in Centralia, Washington and his freshman year he moved to Lakewood, Washington.
William Ernest Walsh was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. After retiring from the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports broadcaster for several years and then returned as head coach at Stanford for three seasons.
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The 2011 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Cardinal were led by former offensive coordinator and new head coach David Shaw, as Jim Harbaugh departed following the 2010 season in order to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. They played their home games at Stanford Stadium and are members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season with 11–2 in overall record, 8–1 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie with Oregon for first place in the North Division. Due to their head-to-head loss to Oregon, they did not represent the division in the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game. They were invited the Fiesta Bowl, their second consecutive BCS game, where they were defeated by Oklahoma State 38–41 in overtime.
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