May 22, 2012
STANFORD, Calif. -- - Stanford Athletics announced today that its offensive coordinator position has been endowed by a very generous gift from an anonymous donor in honor of graduating senior quarterback Andrew Luck.
"It is a tremendous honor to hold this position and to be associated with an outstanding young man like Andrew Luck, who means so much to Stanford football and the Stanford community," said Stanford's first Andrew Luck Director of Offense, Pep Hamilton.
"I will do everything in my power to proudly continue the tradition of creative and exciting offensive football at Stanford."
"This endowment is emblematic of the outstanding support we have at Stanford University," said Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw. "Beyond its extraordinary generosity, this gift is pioneering a new way to support the school that you love. Our supporters don't just like their school; they love Stanford University, what we do and how we do it. They rally around the class and character of the scholar-athletes who attend Stanford. We are extremely grateful for this support, which helps set Stanford University apart from our competitors."
Shaw preceded Hamilton (2011-present) as Stanford's offensive coordinator from 2007-2010. In each of the last three years, the Cardinal have set a new school scoring record, most recently totaling 561 points (43.15 ppg) in 2011. Stanford led the nation in red zone efficiency last year, scoring on 67 of 69 attempts (97.0 percent) including their first 58 red zone possessions of the season. The Cardinal in 2011 also ranked first in the Pac-12 Conference and third in the nation in third down conversion at 52.57 percent (92 of 175), a year after ranking first nationally at 57.6 percent (99 of 172). Stanford each of the last three years has ranked top-three in the country for fewest punts.
The Cardinal coaches are quick to credit Luck, who has enabled and elevated the Stanford offense during his All-American college career.
"I am very pleased that Andrew Luck's name will be perpetually tied to the Director of Offense position at Stanford," said Shaw. "Because of his great play on the field, his intellect and his great relationships with the coaching staff, Andrew allowed us to do so much on offense the last three years at Stanford. He set the bar high for himself, for every quarterback who comes to Stanford, and for our performance on offense."
"It is a huge tribute," said Luck of his named Directorship. "To have anything endowed in my name is a complete honor. I feel very fortunate to have come to Stanford, and I have always enjoyed representing the University. The offensive coordinators I've had here helped me not only in football, but also to grow so much as a person. To be a part of that leadership and position is a very proud legacy for me."
At the conclusion of his storied Stanford career, Luck ranks first on the school's career lists for touchdown passes (82), completion percentage (.687; 713-1064), passing efficiency (162.76) and total offense (10,387) - in three years of play.
His 9,430 passing yards ranks second only to Steve Stenstrom (10.531; 1991-94) on Stanford's all-time career charts. He also stands first among Stanford's all-time signal-callers in career wins and winning percentage.
Luck helped turn around a Stanford program that had recorded seven straight losing seasons before he took over the reins of the offense for the 2009 season. He quarterbacked the Cardinal to a 31-7 record in his 38 career starts, missing the 2009 Sun Bowl due to injury. He also helped the Cardinal to a 24-5 conference record and an 8-3 mark against Top 25 competition.
Luck quarterbacked Stanford to a 23-3 record over the last two seasons following a 12-1 campaign in 2010 and an 11-2 ledger last season. Stanford's .885 winning percentage over the last two seasons is tied for the fifth-best mark among FBS programs.
Under his guidance, Stanford has been ranked in the Associated Press' Top 25 for 29 consecutive polls, including 22 straight inside the Top 10.
A dual-threat quarterback, Luck rushed for 957 yards on 163 carries (5.9) with seven touchdowns, including three runs of over 50 yards. His career rushing total ranks first all-time among Stanford quarterbacks.
Luck has twice been runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and twice been named the Pac-12's Offensive Player of the Year. As a fourth-year junior, Luck earned Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year honors, the Maxwell Trophy as the nation's top player and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Trophy. As a third-year sophomore, he received the Archie Griffin Award as college football's Most Valuable Player and was named the Orange Bowl MVP.
Luck also earned First Team All-America recognition by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the American Football Coaches Association.
An architectural design major with a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average, Luck was voted as the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is graduating next month with his degree of bachelor of science in engineering.