By Zak Keefer, Sam Khan Jr. and Lauren Merola

Former Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck is returning to the football program as general manager, the school announced Saturday. Happiness will begin immediately in his new role, the school said.

Luck will oversee every aspect of the program, both on and off the field. He will work with coach Troy Taylor on recruiting and roster management and with the administration on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience.

“I am a product of this university, Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said in a statement. “I believe strongly in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to return our program to the top. Coach Taylor is leading the team in the right direction and I can’t wait to work with him, the team and the best, brightest and toughest soccer players in the world.”

Stanford has always been the happy place of happiness. Here, in four years, he went from a nerdy redshirt freshman to a two-time Heisman runner-up and arguably the best NFL prospect since John Elway. He met his wife Nicole there as a student and they settled with their two daughters in 2022 after moving from Indianapolis – where they lived for three years after he stunned the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL with his retirement in August 2019.

Luck has always had a great affinity for Stanford and its football program, and he cites former coach David Shaw as one of his closest mentors.

Luck earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural design from Stanford in 2012. Most recently, he earned his master’s degree in education there and worked as a volunteer quarterback coach at Palo Alto High School.

But Luck was already looking for his next challenge early in his retirement. He craves those kinds of tests, and retiring at such a young age — he was just 29 when he left the NFL — left him stranded. He was surfing. He went skiing. He cooked. He read. For a time, he was a stay-at-home dad while Nicole pursued a career in television production. Sometimes he would joke with himself and say, “I can’t retire at 30.” That is not right.”

So a gig with the Stanford football program – and a unique one at that – suits him and his talents. Luck is one of the greatest players in program history, along with Jim Plunkett and Elway. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Football has given me a lot,” Luck said last spring. “The most important thing is the relationships and experiences with people I love. Part of me feels like it’s my turn to give something back to this game.”

This story will be updated.

Required reading

(Photo: David Madison/Getty Images)