"Type of person that’ll be great at anything" - Jim Harbaugh praises Andrew Luck for his work at Stanford

Jim Harbaugh offered high praise for former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck on Monday. The LA Chargers coach expressed confidence in Luck's abilities as Stanford's general manager.

Harbaugh coached Luck during his tenure at Stanford (2007-2010), where he transformed a struggling team. Luck flourished under his guidance after redshirting his first year and becoming the starting QB in 2009.

David Lombardi captured Harbaugh's comments in a video tweeted just hours before news broke about Stanford hiring Frank Reich as interim head coach:

"Andrew Luck being great at whatever field he chooses to go into, and couldn't be more excited about him being the general manager at Stanford," Harbaugh said on Monday. "Andrew is the type of person that'll be great at anything that he does, general manager, coach, athletic director, Senator, fill in the blank, really."

Reich's hiring comes days after Luck made his first major decision as GM — firing Troy Taylor on Tuesday following allegations of mistreating female staffers.

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According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Reich's appointment is part of a one-season agreement. He went 40-33-1 during five campaigns with the Indianapolis Colts and 1-10 with the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

"Since beginning my role as general manager, I have been thoroughly assessing the entire Stanford football program," Luck said in a statement on Tuesday. "It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change."

ESPN reported that Taylor had been investigated twice since taking over in 2023. Both investigations found his treatment of employees, particularly women, inconsistent with Stanford's standards.

Taylor posted consecutive 3-9 records during his two seasons at Stanford. The program has struggled with four straight 3-9 seasons, far from its success during Luck's playing days.

Luck retired unexpectedly from the NFL just weeks before the 2019 season. He finished his pro career with 23,671 yards, 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions on 2,000 of 3,290 passing attempts.

After retiring, Luck returned to the Stanford area in 2022. He earned a Master's degree and volunteered as a coach at nearby Palo Alto High School before taking the GM role.

"I certainly want to believe I sell this place as good as anybody around football," Luck said on Wednesday, via AP News. "I lived it, and I know it's authentic when I talk about Stanford and what this place can be for (the) development of a young man, of a football player academically, socially."

Luck was hired last fall by Stanford President Jonathan Levin. He reports directly to Levin instead of the athletic director, a position that is vacant after Bernard Muir stepped down after the conclusion of the academic year.