Former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard is in his sixth season on the Cardinal coaching staff and second as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach in 2015. In 2013, his first season as an assistant coach, Pritchard worked with the Cardinal running backs. He was as a defensive assistant for two years after serving as a volunteer assistant in 2010.

In Pritchard’s first season coaching the quarterbacks and wide receivers in 2014, Stanford averaged 229.8 yards/game through the air. Kevin Hogan increased his completion percentage from 61.0 to 65.9 percent and reduced his interception total from 10 to eight, even though he threw almost 60 more passes in 2014 than 2013.

Ty Montgomery led Stanford with 61 receptions for 604 yards and also added three receiving touchdowns. Devon Cajuste led the Cardinal with six receiving scores and amassed 557 yards on 34 catches.

As the running backs coach in 2013, Pritchard nurtured Tyler Gaffney to second team All-Pac-12 honors. Gaffney was also a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, rushed for over 100 yards in nine games and was selected as the team’s most valuable player. Gaffney rushed for 1,709 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season and was named the Pac-12 Championship Game MVP after rushing for 133 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Arizona State.

Gaffney was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.

Behind Pritchard’s efforts with the defense, the Cardinal finished with consecutive top-15 national standings in defensive efficiency in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Stanford’s defense broke the school’s single-season sacks record (57) and led the Pac-12 in scoring defense (17.21), total defense (336.21), rushing defense (97.0), sacks (4.07) and tackles for loss (9.00).

Capped off by a Pac-12 title game victory and Rose Bowl crown, the 2012 Cardinal ranked first nationally in sacks, second in tackles for loss, fifth in rushing defense and 11th in scoring defense.

A four-year letterwinner for the Cardinal from 2006-09, Pritchard appeared in 31 career games and made 20 starts, throwing for 2,865 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Recruiting Areas
Colorado, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Texas (Dallas, Northeast)

Pritchard made his first career start against USC on Oct. 6, 2007, and engineered an epic 24-23 upset of the second-ranked Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. His 10-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Mark Bradford on fourth down with 0:49 left in the game secured his spot in Stanford football lore.

Pritchard started all 12 games as a junior in 2008 and threw for 1,633 yards and 10 touchdowns, helping Stanford to a 5-7 record. He relinquished his starting duties to Andrew Luck in 2009. Pritchard saw action in five games that season, capped off by a start in the Sun Bowl for an injured Luck.

A native of Tacoma, Wash., Pritchard earned a communication degree from Stanford. He resides in Palo Alto with his wife, Caroline.