STANFORD, Calif. — A new era of Stanford football officially began on April 1, with the first spring football practice under Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, Tavita Pritchard. The energy around practice was palpable during the first week, with three practices taking place over four days.
“I love the energy, the effort, and the finish,” Pritchard said following the first practice on Wednesday morning. “It feels good to be back on the grass. This is a sanctuary to be out here coaching ball and being out at practice with our guys.”
The first practices with a new coaching staff are never going to be the most revealing. There are new systems to install, new personnel to get accustomed to, and a return to normalcy that takes time to build towards. That certainly holds true for Stanford, heading into 2026 with new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
On offense, Terry Heffernan is the new Andrew Luck Director of Offense. No stranger to The Farm, Heffernan was the offensive line coach for the Cardinal from 2021-22. He spent the last three years in the ACC with Virginia, serving as the Hoos’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator. The move serves as a promising sign for Stanford fans that the offensive line will be a point of emphasis in getting the offense back towards the top half of the conference.
Defensively, Kris Richard was tabbed the Willie Shaw Director of Defense and will also serve as the team’s defensive backs coach. A key contributor to the “Legion of Boom” in Seattle, with former Cardinal Richard Sherman, Richard brings years of experience with some of the best defenses in the NFL to Stanford, in hopes of turning around a unit that has struggled over the last half-decade.
Especially this first week, Coach Pritchard spent the early practices engaging in every position group during individual sessions of practice. During 7-on-7s or any team period, Pritchard called in plays to the offensive huddle. But those moments of observance serve a purpose for Pritchard, who believes in a holistic approach to winning football.
“I get to think about how we can continue to bring our team together,” explained Pritchard. “All three phases of the ball matter. Getting to be a part of special teams, walking over to see our defensive line compete against our offensive line…it’s different for me, not just over there with the quarterbacks or with the offense, but I’m really enjoying this.”
During every practice this week, Pritchard mentioned to the team the importance of being the best practicing team in the country. It goes back to what he said to the media following the first practice of spring: he wants this team to be the best finishing team in the country.
“So much of that is learning how to do what we do out here, learning how to compete out here. I know this in my core: if we learn how to practice, compete, and take care of each other at the same time, we will do what we need to do on the field come Saturdays in the fall. It starts here…that’s where our focus is.”
While the personnel on the defensive side of the ball might not have endured a significant change in terms of the transfer portal, it will look different with what Richard implements. His philosophy towards building a winning defense might sound simple, but those principles are grounded in fervent growth and development.
“Football, in general, is not going to change. This game is about running and hitting. This game is about setting our edges on defense and being gap-accountable. This game is about eliminating explosive plays in the run and pass game. Running, hitting, tackling…football is football.”
The runway to install a new defense might seem short, but that’s been top of mind for Richard since day one when he arrived on The Farm. That’s what OTAs are for, that’s what team meetings are for. Spring practice is the first opportunity to begin piecing it all together into a product that Stanford fans will love come August.
Despite having certain tendencies and philosophies, Richard knows that ultimately, his defense will revolve around whatever strengths it might possess. That will be learned throughout spring, as the install continues to ramp up on a week-to-week basis.
“We put in our defense in phases. As we push through towards the end and we get enough time on task, we’ll be able to determine what we are really good at, and then we can focus in on those areas.”
It’s a similar mindset that Heffernan has on the offensive side of the ball, where the installation process began this week. However, when asked about the hallmarks of his offense, he was quick to give credit to the collaborative process that will build what Stanford’s offense becomes.
“There is no ‘Terry Heffernan’ offense, you know?” he said following the final practice of the week. “It’s Stanford’s offense. And that starts with people, that’s always going to be our approach.
But we are an attacking offense. We’ll dictate things with tempo, with shifts and motion, and with physicality. We’re always going to keep a defense on its heels.”
The offense is where fans might see the most significant change, at least at the skill positions. Stanford will have a new quarterback this year, a new top receiver, and a new top tight end, after Ben Gulbranson, CJ Williams, and Sam Roush all saw their eligibility expire. That’s where these four weeks of preparation are key: position battles won’t be won or lost, but the picture will start to become clearer.
In his first week overseeing the Stanford offense, Heffernan would not single out a specific group that impressed him most, but that’s not for lack of impression. It came back to what Coach Pritchard mentioned following Wednesday’s press conference: the energy and excitement about the process.
“I’ve been impressed by the buy-in and the willingness to adjust and learn from everybody. Overall, there’s been great excitement from everyone about what we are trying to accomplish here.”
Full pads come on midway through next week, before the team embarks to San Francisco for the return of a spring practice at historic Kezar Stadium. The practice, free and open to the public, begins on Saturday, Apr. 11, from 2-4 p.m. PT. For all the details, click HERE.