FB Coach Reich during practice used 4-6-25FB Coach Reich during practice used 4-6-25
Dom Simons
Football

Spring Ball 2025 – Week 1

First week of the Coach Reich era is in the books

STANFORD, Calif. — Spring football carries a sort of “return to work” feeling in programs across the country. That holds true for Stanford football, but in a different sense in 2025 than in years past.  The first week of spring practice also marked the first week in the tenure of interim head coach Frank Reich and the beginning of a transition period that both players and coaches are ready for.

Most transitions take time, but not in this case. From the first press conference for Coach Reich to his first spring practice, there were about four hours in between. Despite the quick turnaround, Coach Reich was impressed with what he saw from the team during his first week.

“We talk about dominating the details and that takes a real consistency from the players and a commitment by the players to take good coaching, to coach themselves, and to coach each other. You could really see the progress day-by-day,” Coach Reich mentioned after the team’s final practice of the week.

Coach Reich was asked about the quick turnaround and his comfort of getting up to speed. He laughed and said, “I actually don’t feel any adjustment period. I feel right at home.” He did, however, go on to say with a grin that “I’ll be using flashcards this weekend to be able to make that big step and get to know these guys on a personal level.”

There was a palpable energy and buzz around practice all week. The team was engaged and enthusiastic. The team celebrated touchdowns and turnovers. In a lot of ways, it felt like the team had been practicing for weeks.

One of the lynchpins of the Cardinal’s roster in 2025 is senior tight end Sam Roush, who has taken on a bigger leadership role. He knows that the team has undergone a significant change in the last month but applauds the efforts of his teammates as spring ball begins.

“The team is doing a really good job as a whole adjusting to this,” Roush said. “We’ve all faced a lot of adversity in our football journeys. Everyone has been really mature about it. People are on the same page with moving forward and adopting the new culture that Coach Reich is bringing in and we believe in that.”

The defense was one of the biggest bright spots for the Stanford Cardinal in 2024. Willie Shaw Director of Defense Bobby April’s defense forced its most turnovers since 2018 and the most forced fumbles since 2017. They were also proficient at stopping the run, posting the fewest rushing yards allowed per game (133.5) since 2014.

Senior safety Scotty Edwards was a big part of the team’s success last year, finishing second on the team in total tackles with a career-best 80. He echoed the statements by Roush about the new culture that Coach Reich brings and admits it is hasn’t taken long for that to rub off on him and his teammates.

“You can tell he is an amazing person, and his leadership style is really powerful,” explained Edwards. “It’s been cool to see at practice the energy that guys have had and how united we feel already.”

There was an extra sort of buzz around the first week of spring ball. It marked the first time that Andrew Luck, now in his role as General Manager of Stanford Football, could see the team practice in an official capacity. 

This year’s version of the Cardinal will already have his fingerprints all over it, even more so considering his relationship with Coach Reich. Luck played for Reich when the two were in Indianapolis in 2018, and as Luck mentioned during Reich’s introductory press conference, he and his wife Nicole were married by Reich in 2019.

Luck understands it won’t be a quick fix, but he liked what he saw after the first three practices.

“There’s great energy. Our guys are gelling, and they are adapting to change.,” said Luck. “Our defense is punching at the ball and creating turnovers. Our offense is getting better and running the ball well. All our players need to improve individually and that’s how we will improve as a team.”

Luck also spoke about the great levels of competition around the field. One of the biggest position battles this year will take place at the quarterback position, where sophomore quarterback Elijah Brown returns with the most game experience (three games) of any quarterback on the roster. Despite his youth in terms of game snaps, he feels his first season prepared him immensely for the challenges ahead.

“Everything is slowing down a lot more. Obviously, playing in those three games [in 2024] really helped me get a feel for what it’s going to be like in those situations,” he mentioned.

All in all, the seeds have been planted for a successful spring on The Farm. Luck summed it up best when he said “There’s nothing quite like spring in Stanford. It’s the best place in the world to practice football and I’m proud of our guys for the work they’re putting in.”