Tavita Pritchard Position: Assistant Coach - Running Backs Experience: First Season Alma Mater: Stanford '09

Former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard is in his fourth season on the Cardinal staff and first as an assistant coach.

Pritchard, who for two years served as a defensive assistant and worked closely with Willie Shaw Director of Defense Derek Mason, was elevated to his current role in January of 2013.

"Tavita Pritchard is one of the brightest young coaches I have ever been around," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "He was instrumental to the turnaround of our program when he was our starting quarterback and a team leader. I'm excited to have him back on our offense coaching the running backs."

Pritchard served as a defensive assistant in 2011 and 2012 after serving as a volunteer assistant in 2010.

Behind Pritchard's efforts with defensive coordinator Derek Mason, the Cardinal enters 2013 coming off consecutive top-15 national standings in defensive efficiency with steadfast efforts 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.

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 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 an undergraduate communications degree from Stanford. He currently resides in Palo Alto.