Andrew Luck is returning to his alma mater to become the general manager of Stanford’s football program, he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“I’m excited,” Luck told ESPN. “I think Stanford is taking an assertive and innovative step. We’re arguably the best athletic department in college sports. We have to prove that again in football, and we’re excited to be a part of that challenge.”
The 35-year-old Luck, who was the Cardinal quarterback from 2008-2011 and was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, returns “home” for this newly created role that will put him at the top of the program’s hierarchy. In the GM role, Luck will be involved in all things Stanford football, including managing the coaching staff, player personnel, recruiting and roster management.
Lucka’s new gig also has a business side. He will cover important aspects of the NCAA experience such as fundraising, sponsorships and alumni relations.
According to Luck, the idea was hatched last month in a conversation with school president Jonathan Levin when Levin suggested the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft run the football program.
Since leaving the NFL, Luck has been closely linked to Stanford. Ten years after graduating with a degree in architectural design, he returned to school and earned a master’s degree in education. During the Paris Olympics last summer, Luck and his wife, Nicole Pechanec, who was a gymnast at Stanford, helped get the school’s mascot, The Tree, to the games to support 59 athletes with ties to the school.
“I’m a product of this place,” Luck said. “Besides my people and friends and extended family that I grew up with, Stanford is home to my wife and I. I’m deeply influenced by Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Pep Hamilton and all the coaches and professors I’ve ever had.”
Luck said he understands he’s coming into the job without much experience, but he’s taking it with “an open mind and an awareness of my strengths and my limitations.”
The program has a lot of work to do to reverse their recent history. The Cardinal haven’t played a bowl game and haven’t won more than four games in a season since 2018. This year, Troy Taylor’s team is 3-9 in his first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I’m very grateful for what football has given me,” Luck said. “In many, many ways on many, many levels. Stanford is one of those deeper levels. There’s something about it, especially the people there. This is going to be a daunting challenge. It’s a steep climb. But I’m excited.”
“It’s going to take a whole team of people.”