One of the greatest quarterbacks in Stanford history may be off to the NFL, but his name will continue to live on in an official capacity in the football program.
The Cardinal announced in a release Tuesday that its offensive coordinator position has been endowed by a very generous gift from an anonymous donor in honor of Andrew Luck. Thus, current coordinator Pep Hamilton‘s official title will be the “Andrew Luck Director of Offense” going forward.
No, seriously. It will be. And it will. be. awesome.
“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,” Hamilton said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to proudly continue the tradition of creative and exciting offensive football at Stanford.
The amount of the gift was not revealed.
The endowment continues a long tradition at the school, from the head football coach -- Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw -- to the athletic director -- Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby, prior to his being named the Big 12’s commissioner -- to coaches in other sports as well.
Suffice to say, Luck is honored and humbled by the endowment in his name.
“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.
In 38 career starts, Luck helped the Cardinal to a 31-7 record, a three-year run that came on the heels of seven straight losing seasons. Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in the April NFL draft, holds school records for, among other categories, touchdown passes (82) and total offense (10, 387 yards).
He was the Heisman runner-up and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year each of the past two seasons.