By Zak Keefer, Sam Khan Jr. and Lauren Merola
Former Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck is returning to the football program as general manager, the school announced Saturday. Luck will start in his new role immediately, the school said.
Luck will oversee every aspect of the program, both on and off the field. He will work with coach Troy Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with administration on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience.
“I am a product of this University, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said in a statement. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.”
Stanford has always been Luck’s happy place. It’s where, in four years, he went from a nerdy, redshirt freshman to a two-time Heisman runner-up and arguably the best NFL prospect since John Elway. It’s where he met his wife Nicole as an undergrad, and where they settled with their two daughters in 2022 after moving from Indianapolis — where they lived for three years after he stunned the Indianapolis Colts and NFL with his August 2019 retirement.
Luck always held great affinity for Stanford and its football program, and he cites former coach David Shaw as one of his closest mentors.
Luck earned a Bachelor’s degree in architectural design at Stanford in 2012. He was most recently pursuing his Master’s degree in education there and volunteering as a quarterback coach at Palo Alto High School.
But Luck was looking, since as far back as the early days of his retirement, for his next challenge. He craves such tests, and retiring at such a young age — he was just 29 when he walked away from the NFL — left him wandering. He surfed. He skied. He cooked. He read. For a time, he was a stay-at-home dad while Nicole pursued a career in television production. He sometimes joked with himself, saying, “I can’t be retired at 30. That ain’t right.”
So a gig with the Stanford football program — and a unique one at that — fits him and his talents. Along with Jim Plunkett and Elway, Luck is one of the greatest players in program history. In 2022, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Football gave me a lot,” Luck said last spring. “Most importantly … the relationships and the experiences with people that I love. Part of me feels like it’s my turn to give back to this game.”
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: David Madison / Getty Images)
