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9 candidates if Michigan Football needs to replace Matt Weiss

By Kyler Kregel

Nov 12, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw looks for a play against the Utah Utes in the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw looks for a play against the Utah Utes in the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports /
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September 19, 2009; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) instructs his team as quarterback Tavita Pritchard (right) looks on before the game against the San Jose State Spartans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
September 19, 2009; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) instructs his team as quarterback Tavita Pritchard (right) looks on before the game against the San Jose State Spartans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Stanford offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard

A former quarterback at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh, Pritchard remained with David Shaw in Palo Alto and quickly rose his way up to QB coach in 2014, and then offensive coordinator in 2018, a role he’s held since. And even after Shaw’s resignation, Pritchard was kept on as offensive coordinator by new Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor.

While the Stanford program has ultimately slipped in the later years of Shaw’s tenure, the QB production remains quite good.

QB K.J. Costello threw for a career-high 29 touchdown passes under Pritchard, before losing his job to QB Davis Mills, whom Pritchard developed into a third-round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2021 NFL Draft. And currently, Pritchard has done some very solid work turning QB Tanner McKee into an NFL prospect at the position.

Pritchard would almost certainly require a co-OC/QB coach designation to leave Stanford and join Michigan football, but given his ability to develop quality quarterbacks, his impressive resume as a recruiter, and his ties to Jim Harbaugh, Pritchard would make a very strong candidate to replace Matt Weiss.

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