Stanford has hired veteran NFL assistant Kris Richard as its defensive coordinator under new coach Tavita Pritchard.
Richard, a former cornerback at USC and in the NFL, most recently coached defensive backs with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. He served as Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017 under Pete Carroll, who coached him at USC in 2001. Richard coached the Seahawks’ defensive backs when the team won Super Bowl XLVIII in early 2014.
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Richard, 46, a third-round pick of the Seahawks in the 2002 NFL draft, also will coach defensive backs for Stanford.
“His ability to develop elite defensive backs in the NFL is well-documented, but what really excites me is his background as a coordinator who builds relentless, attacking defenses,” Pritchard said in a statement. “Kris brings a championship pedigree and an intensity that will shape our defense into a physical, run-and-hit unit that our guys will take immense pride in.”
Richard has coached defensive backs for four NFL teams during a 13-year span, including the New Orleans Saints, for whom he served as co-defensive coordinator in 2022. Stanford finished last in the FBS in passing yards allowed and 95th nationally in points allowed during the 2025 season.
