Andrew Luck will lead Stanford football in the newly created GM role

Former Stanford football star Andrew Luck is officially returning to his old college campus at the end of the season – and is now responsible for the football program in the newly created role of general manager.

Luck will oversee the entire football program, Stanford announced early Saturday morning, with even head coach Troy Taylor now reporting directly to Luck. ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the story an hour before Stanford’s announcement on Saturday, with Luck telling ESPN that the idea came from Stanford President Jonathan Levin about a month ago.

According to Luck’s retelling to ESPN, Levin asked Luck, “Why don’t you run football?”

Luck’s answer: “I have to do it somehow. That makes too much sense. I wouldn’t do this anywhere else, not only with myself but with my wife too. It is a special place for me and many others.”

Luck and his wife, former Stanford gymnast Nicole Pechanec, moved back to Palo Alto in recent years and quickly immersed themselves back in the community. Luck went back to teaching at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, became a part-time football coach at Palo Alto High School across from the Stanford campus and became a fixture at various Cardinal sporting events.

But these various tasks pale in comparison to the new job he is taking on. Luck will be responsible for the entire football program, including working with Taylor on recruiting and roster management and with the rest of Stanford’s campus leadership on fundraising, alumni relations and more.

It’s a move that represents a revolutionary change in the traditional college sports model, in which head coaches were typically considered the team’s top executives. ESPN reported that Taylor “expressed his excitement about the partnership,” although it is notable that Taylor is not quoted in Stanford’s press release.

Luck also appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” show Saturday morning to talk about his new job, a day after the Cardinal lost at San Jose State and ended its fourth straight season with a 3-9 record finished. He noted that he was on the hiring committee that brought Taylor to Stanford and said the head coach “pointed the team in the right direction.”

He also expressed his belief in what Stanford athletics could be, despite the recent difficulties and enormous modern challenges facing the Atlantic Coast Conference school.

“We absolutely have a vision,” Luck said on ESPN. “We also have no illusions about the landscape of university sports. I strongly believe in the unique value proposition of Stanford and Stanford athletics. It’s the largest athletic department, it’s the most successful athletic department in the country. We are pleased that football is making its contribution in the home of the champions.”