Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard spoke on Wednesday at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte.
Opening statement:
“First of all, thank you for having us. To the ACC, to the city of Charlotte, we've enjoyed our time here so far. We expect that to continue. We're grateful to be here.
“We're excited to compete this season. As I was thinking about kind of the message for today, not just in here but throughout all of our activities and conversations that we will have, I was thinking about what I want you to know about this team, about these players.
“We have a roster full of competitors. We have a building full of competitors. We have a staff full of competitors. What I'm most excited about is attacking this season with a bunch of competitors.
“The way that we're going to approach our work is with that mindset, with the mindset that we're going to come into the building every single day with an energy and a focus that is intent on building a championship process with championship people.
“Here at Stanford to build a championship, we know that's going to take a lot of hard work. We're clear-eyed about that. We know that work will be done in the meetings rooms, and especially on the practice field. I know our guys are excited and energized by that.
“When I think about the ACC and the conference that we are in, it's going to be a challenge. We know that winning football games, period, is a challenge. It's hard. It is hard work. This will be no different.
“We added seven teams in the ACC last year with nine-plus wins, nine teams with eight-plus wins, and 11 bowl teams.
“We are, again, excited and energized by those challenges in front of us. Again, I'm excited to be here. I'm excited for these young men that sit up here that are representatives of our great university and football team.”
On giving Stanford new life and how his time in Palo Alto has helped him:
“I'm so excited to be back at my alma mater. Again, to be doing it with a group of people that were attracted to Stanford, chose Stanford for a reason. I'm very excited and appreciative not just for these young men but a number of our people, starting with the roster that we lost single digits worth of transfer portal entries.
“For that reason we brought in a small amount. The staff that we brought in chose Stanford for our current state.
“So much of what I've learned in my time away from Stanford are a lot about the themes that I learned while at Stanford, which is we have a tight-knit community, we have a tight-knit group that, again, it's is attracted to our university and our football team because they want to be excellent.
“We have a strong belief in Stanford in the saying that how you do anything is how you do everything. We don't believe because I want to be a great student and get an elite degree that my life has a football player, my career as a football player, has to suffer. We believe that you can do both, that you can do it all. These guys are representative of that.
“How does my past experience help me? It is an understanding that what many perceive as challenges at our university and in program I see as strengths; I see as being the pathway and reason we will build this program up to be a championship program.”
On what he wants the identity of Stanford to be in 2026:
“Competitors. You heard me say it. What Stanford football has always been full of, what the university is full of, are competitors. Let's not misunderstand what 'competing' means. It doesn't necessarily mean I need an opponent, I need a winner and loser. Oftentimes it means that. But it means being your best self every single day.
“Our university lives that out. You have companies being started, you have Olympians in our athletic facility, you have guys that will go on and have NFL careers. Championships have been won here in the past; they will be won again.
“Because of that, it's all borne out of how we compete, how we show up with energy and focus. I think about our spring ball, the 15 practices, the way these guys approached that, came out every single day. There was an energy. It was palpable.
“The belief we have we can do something special this year is out there and they're living it every single day.”
On what it’s like working with his former teammate, Andrew Luck:
“Andrew and I, we got to hit the fast forward button so to speak of our working relationship because we have a history.
“I have a love, respect, and trust from Andrew from our time together a teammates, competitors, and then continuing on in our careers, as I went onto coach and he went to play in the NFL.
“So much of what we do, we work together hand-in-hand on. When this role, opportunity came about, Andrew said to me, hey, I really need somebody to come in and coach football and hire a staff and develop players.
“I love to do that. That's why I coach. There are so many things outside of those things in being a head coach that I'm less excited about and things that I know Andrew does a great job of owning.
“The way our structure is set up, we are a two-headed monster so to speak. We work really closely hand-in-hand. Andrew said this recently on an interview, and I guess now here I sit saying it publicly, as well. Andrew said, I talk to Tavita more than I talk to my wife, and that may be true, because we communicate a lot. A lot, a lot.
“We believe in setting up systems of support for these guys, making sure they have what they need every day so we're aligned on the vision, on the standard, aligned on the values so we can make the best decisions for our team and our program and these guys going forward.”
On what the pillars of his program will be:
“Competition -- I've said that one -- connection, and commitment. Those are the three that we'll build our program on, ones I've already mentioned.
“I guess I can zero in on connection for you. One thing that I know to my core is that the team with the strongest connection has the best chance to win. Of course, there are other things that go into that.
“We're going to be a team and a program that finds a way in the margins to win football games. We're going to play complementary football. One of those margins I know we can make up a lot of ground is how we connect to each other, how we play for each other, how we trust each other. That's certainly going to be a hallmark of the team that we put out there on Saturdays - and Fridays (smiling).”
On if he has a game circled to help establish a winning culture at Stanford:
“You want the most coach-speak answer today? The most important game is the first game. There it is (smiling).
“Yeah, no, we're very excited about August 29th, about the University of Hawaii. We have a lot of work to do before that day arrives. Again, so much of what we're going to do and the value that we're going to put on how we prepare is what we do on the practice field.
“So much of our preparation is going to be geared towards making sure we throw really, really effective, high-energy practices every opportunity we get.
“That next opponent is the most important. That can't be overstated.”
On how he can prevent and mitigate the ups and downs of being a first-time head coach:
“Every head coach was a first-time head coach at one point. You are 100% right. What is the best way to mitigate the pitfalls that may arise?
“I consider myself a lifelong learner. Part of that is making sure that I stay curious and I stay open to different ways of doing things. Knowing and understanding that I don't know everything. You mentioned the staff. Andrew and I, I believe, have built a world class staff. That's our football coaches, that's our support staff around, and it's really finding those experts that you trust, that you believe are a part of your ethos, living that out every day.
“Then you trust them to go. Not micromanaging. I have a strong brief in the saying that all of us are smarter than one of us. As a head coach I think what's most important is I have the humility to say I don't know it all and that I'm going to make mistakes, because that is true.
“Mitigating that as much as we can is the name of the game. There will be a learning curve. There will be failures, so to speak. I think the biggest thing for me is making sure we learn from 'em and we move on.”
On if there is special preparation that goes into East Coast trips:
“Very much so. Having come from the NFL recently, we did some coast-to-coast trips. Making sure that we're exhausting all of our resources when it comes to research, making sure we're giving these guys the best chance to go out and play well every game day.
“Absolutely, there's special consideration for trips across multiple time zones. We need to make sure we give these guys every chance possible to play their best ball. Whether that's what day we're getting there, the kind of nutrition they're getting, what we're doing on the plane for those longer flights, for sure is a consideration. Something I'm not a stranger to just coming from the NFL.”
On the importance of running the football at Stanford:
“I was trying to glance over as you're asking that question to Micah Ford, our running back, to see about his excitement about this question about running the football.
“I appreciate that question, especially thinking about the legacy of not just coaches but great history that comes before us in the Stanford program. It is something that we hope to build on, that legacy, and make sure that we are great stewards of that.
“When it comes to identity and offensive identity, we're going to play a physical brand of football. We're going to have a toughness about us. It's something that I know Stanford men in particular to be champions have to be tough. It's a brand of football that we have to play.
“When I mentioned energy and focus, Stanford guys, they possess a toughness I believe unlike others because of what they've been asked to do throughout their lives, not just on the football field, but beyond, and their ability to focus through adversity, through physical and mental pain and stress is different. It's something that we're going to promote and lean into.
“When it comes to the run and pass game, we're going to be physical. To a large degree, you mentioned coach Walsh, who obviously for us, like he's on our Mount Rushmore, right, the guy who's meant so much to this game of football, but certainly to Stanford football.
“He was innovative. So much of what he did was about bucking the trends in football at the time. We're going to look to do the same.
“Without giving you our entire game plan, we're going to put pressure on the defense. I would say this, my version of balance, how I view it, is balance comes from the ability to run the football and the threat of running the football.
“Micah is going to get some work this year, right? Our quarterback, about it Davis or one of our other guys, they'll also be se helm making sure we're putting so much pressure on the defense, making sure that we're attacking those guys and keeping them on their heels.”
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