Stanford was 6-18 over the two seasons Troy Taylor was in charge. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Stanford has fired coach Troy Taylor.
The school made the decision after a report by ESPN chronicled Taylor’s workplace behavior in his two seasons as the Cardinal’s coach.
“After continued consideration it is evident to me that our program needs a reset,” Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck said in a statement. “In consultation with university leadership I no longer believe that Coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program. Coach Taylor has been informed today and the change is effective immediately. A search for new coaching leadership in football has begun, and an acting coach may be named for the 2025 season. Our focus remains on supporting our student-athletes and ensuring they have the best possible experience on the field, in the classroom, and on campus with their peers.
The ESPN report outlined instances where Taylor had bullied and belittled female athletic staffers and even went so far as to push for an NCAA compliance officer to lose her job after he was told about rules violations.
His behavior had led to two investigations at the school and the coach responded to the ESPN report with a statement saying that he had willingly complied with the investigations and “accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and I used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others.”
The investigations predated Luck’s time as the football program’s general manager. Luck, a former Stanford QB and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, was hired in November. The second investigation concluded that summer. It began after more complaints about Taylor’s behavior and found that his demeanor towards others was still an issue since the first investigation concluded.
Per the report, Taylor contended that the compliance team had a vendetta against him and the claim wasn’t supported by any findings in the investigation, which was conducted by attorney Timothy O’Brien. From ESPN:
“Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor’s tone was forceful and aggressive,” O’Brien wrote.
He called Taylor’s treatment of the team’s compliance officer “inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex,” saying it had a “significant negative impact” on the staffer. O’Brien concluded that Taylor retaliated against the compliance staffer by “seeking her removal from her assigned duties” after she raised concerns about NCAA rules violations related to illegal practices and player eligibility.
O’Brien outlined possible disciplinary procedures, including termination, under NCAA bylaws if an employee retaliates, “such as intimidating, threatening, or harassing an individual who has raised a claim.”
Taylor was hired to succeed David Shaw after Shaw stepped down following the 2022 season. Taylor was the coach at Sacramento State for three seasons, going 30-8, before leaving for Stanford.
Stanford didn’t have nearly that success. The Cardinal went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons. The team has had the same record over the past four seasons since they were 4-2 in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Stanford hasn’t had a winning record over the course of a full football season since 2018.
The team’s lack of recent success, high academic standards and recent conference switch make it one of the most unique — and difficult — jobs in college football. Stanford is now a member of the ACC after the Pac-12’s demise, and the team has trips to SMU, Virginia, Miami and North Carolina on tap for the 2025 season along with a non-conference game to open the season at Hawaii.
