Former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is joining the Cardinal in a general manager role, the school announced on Saturday. In his role, Luck will oversee all aspects to support the program, making him a unique figure in modern college football.
Luck will handle both football and business operations for the program, according to ESPN. His role will include managing the coaches, players, recruiting and roster management, but also business roles like fundraising, sponsorships and sales.
“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 [Troy] 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 players in the world.”
Luck ranks as one of the greatest players in Stanford history after throwing for 9,430 yards and 82 touchdowns in three seasons and finishing No. 2 in the Heisman Trophy race in 2011. He won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and was named a First-team All-American by numerous outlets. Luck went on to make four Pro Bowls in seven years before walking away unexpectedly with more than $40 million remaining on his contract.
In recent years, Luck returned to Stanford to earn a master’s degree. He worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Palo Alto High School over the past two seasons, primarily working with the JV team.
“Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir 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. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.”
Beginning with Luck, Stanford underwent a period of tremendous success from 2010-18 under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw. The program won 10 games six times in seven years and captured the Pac-12 three times from 2012-15. However, the program has struggled since the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal. Since 2021, Stanford has won only three games every season. The Cardinal fired Shaw in 2022, replacing him with former Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor.
The general manager role is one of the most rapidly changing in college sports. NIL is only three years old and the upcoming House settlement set to be the next biggest shakeup in the history of college sports isn’t even finalized yet.
It’s unclear how close college football GMs could get to an NFL model, where front office executives make multi-million dollar salaries. Will a GM outlast one head coach and work with a subsequent one? Will a GM in college ever be able to hire and fire head coaches, something that typically defines the reputation of increasingly higher paid athletic directors? It’s all on the table.
“I imagine this being very hands-on,” Luck said. “We do have a vision. We absolutely have a vision. We are under no illusion about the landscape of college sports. I believe deeply in the unique value proposition of Stanford athletics — it’s the best, most successful athletics department in the country. We look forward to football doing its part in the Home of Champions … we will be competitive in recruiting and retaining the best talent out there.”
Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan has quickly become one of the faces after helping construct rosters that reached the national championship game at both Michigan and Washington. Morgan joined Kalen DeBoer at Alabama and signed a contract that will pay him more than $2.4 million over the next three seasons to primarily manage personnel. Other schools have similarly started investing big. However, Luck’s projected role is even more all-encompassing.
