After Former Colts’ Star Andrew Luck Named Stanford Football GM, What Will His New Role Mean For The Program?

Former Colts star Andrew Luck will return to Stanford Football as its first general manager, the university announced Saturday.

Luck graduated from Stanford in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design, having broken school records in wins, total yards and touchdown passes, as well as winning the Maxwell, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards in his senior year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

Personnel departments and general managers are still a fairly new concept for college sports, but are increasingly indispensable for recruitment. Schools like Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State have had personnel departments for years, and have consequently dominated the top recruiting classes.

Now, hoping to return the Cardinal to relevance, so will Stanford.

The hire comes amid the Cardinal’s fourth 3-9 season in a row, now under second-year head coach Troy Taylor. As general manager, Luck will work with Taylor in recruiting and roster management, fundraising, alumni relations, and more. “I imagine this being very hands on,” Luck said.

“I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team,” announced Jaquish and Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. “This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.”

“I think Stanford is taking an assertive and innovative step,” Luck agreed in an ESPN interview. The novelty of his role lies in its expansion – while the typical college football general manager focuses primarily on recruitment, his responsibilities extend to the business side, particularly areas where Stanford has lagged behind, such as NIL and sponsorships.

Since his retirement from the NFL in 2019, Luck and his wife, former Stanford gymnast Nicole Pechanec, have moved back to Palo Alto, California, and become deeply involved in the community. Besides financially supporting Stanford Athletics and its NIL collective, Luck has returned to school to pursue a master’s in education.

The university hopes that Luck’s name, expertise, and commitment can turn the ship around and make Stanford Football exciting once more.

“It’s the most successful athletic department in the country,” Luck told Pat McAfee in a brief College Gameday appearance. “We’re excited for football to do its part at the Home of Champions.”

Article by Katherine Manz