Andrew Luck is returning to his alma mater to change into the final supervisor of the Stanford soccer program, he advised ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“I’m excited,” Luck advised ESPN. “I believe Stanford is taking an assertive and revolutionary step. We’re undoubtedly the perfect athletic division in faculty sports activities. We should re-prove it in soccer, and we’re excited to be a part of that problem.”
The 35-year-old Luck, who quarterbacked the Cardinal from 2008-2011 and was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, goes again “dwelling” for this newly created function that may put him atop this system’s hierarchy. The GM job will see Luck concerned in every little thing Stanford soccer associated, together with dealing with the teaching employees, participant personnel employees, recruiting, and roster administration.
There is a enterprise facet to Luck’s new gig. He will cope with vital facets of the NCAA expertise such a fundraising, sponsorships, and alumni relations.
According to Luck, this concept was devised final month in a dialog with faculty president Jonathan Levin when Levin proposed that the 2012 No. 1 choose within the NFL draft run the soccer program.
Luck has stay carefully concerned with Stanford since leaving for the NFL. A decade after graduating with a level in architectural design, he went again to highschool and bought his grasp’s diploma in schooling. During the Paris Olympics this previous summer season, Luck and his spouse, Nicole Pechanec, who was a gymnast at Stanford, helped get the varsity’s mascot, The Tree, to the Games to assist 59 athletes with ties to the varsity.
“I’m a product of this place,” Luck stated. “Besides my people and the chums and prolonged household I grew up with, Stanford, that is dwelling for my spouse and I. I’m profoundly influenced by Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Pep Hamilton, and all of the coaches and professors that I’ve ever had.”
Luck stated he understands he is getting into this job with out quite a lot of expertise, however he is taking it on with “eyes extensive open and conscious of my strengths and my limitations.”
The program has loads of work to do to turnaround their latest historical past. The Cardinal haven’t made a bowl recreation and haven’t received greater than 4 video games in a season since 2018. This 12 months, Troy Taylor’s crew is 3-9 of their first season within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I’m very grateful for what soccer has given me,” Luck stated. “In many, some ways on many, many ranges. Stanford is a type of deeper ranges. There’s one thing about it, particularly the individuals there. This goes to be a frightening problem. It’s a steep climb. But I’m fired up.
“It’s going to take an entire crew of individuals.”
