The Washington Commanders are expected to make changes to their coaching staff in some capacity this offseason. Most of the speculation swirled around whether defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. would be retained after Dan Quinn took over play-calling responsibilities. However, some pivoting is needed on the other side of the football, too.
In a surprising development, shortly before the Commanders' prime-time showdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard announced his imminent departure from the organization. He's returning to his alma mater as Stanford's new head coach, a superb opportunity to work with Andrew Luck in their quest to get the program back among the challengers.
Pritchard was one of the very few holdovers from Ron Rivera's staff. He did a tremendous job of nurturing Jayden Daniels during his phenomenal rookie transition. Marcus Mariota has also praised the coach for bringing more out of his game. Losing him is a blow, but few would begrudge him the chance to become a leading man somewhere immensely close to his heart.
Commanders have the perfect Tavita Pritchard replacement hiding in plain sight
Quinn agrees. He thinks Pritchard is the perfect hire for Stanford, especially given the ever-changing landscape of college football, with NIL and the transfer portal becoming more prominent than ever.
"Tavita will be a fantastic head coach, and I believe he will be especially effective at Stanford. Players gravitate to him, and he quickly earned their respect and mine. Tavita is smart, collaborative, diligent and he brings people together. He is the perfect coach to build a winning program in today’s college football landscape."Dan Quinn via GoStanford.com
The Commanders have one clear move to make to compensate for Pritchard's departure. That, to the surprise of nobody, is promoting David Blough.
The 30-year-old is highly regarded both within the Commanders and around the league. He resisted approaches from elsewhere to stay in Washington during the offseason. Now, his loyalty must be rewarded with increased responsibilities.
This also keeps continuity around Daniels. He's taken a step back this season, mainly due to injury. Having people around him he trusts will be critical to turning the tide, and his already-developed chemistry with Blough makes the coach a shoo-in for the role.
Anything less, and the vultures will be circling Blough once again. And if the Commanders don't give his career the progression it deserves, he might be more receptive to offers.
Pritchard should do a great job at Stanford. And the Commanders are fortunate to have a ready-made replacement to fill his shoes.
That's a win-win for everybody.