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Troy Taylor receives decision on coaching future at Stanford
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Troy Taylor is being fired by Stanford with the news breaking on Tuesday afternoon.
Originally reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Kyle Bonagura, a statement by new Stanford GM and Cardinal legend Andrew Luck confirmed the move. The statement indicates the final decision came from Luck.
“After continued consideration it is evident to me that our program needs a reset,” said Luck via Thamel. “In consultation with university leadership, I no longer believe that Coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program.”
Across 3 seasons as the head coach at FCS Sacramento State, Taylor went 30-8 with an FCS playoffs appearance in each season, including reaching the quarterfinals in 2022. Unfortunately, the Cardinal was just 6-18 in 2 seasons under Taylor.
However, this story and sudden decision during the spring goes deeper than the on-field performance. Last week, ESPN ran a report detailing multiple investigations into Taylor’s conduct with female staff members.
According to that report, the first investigation was launched after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for “hostile and aggressive behavior” and “personal attacks” in the workplace. A second investigation described the environment as an “ongoing pattern of concerning behavior” on the part of the head coach.
Taylor’s treatment of a team compliance officer was of particular interest, with that treatment described as “inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex.” The head coach also allegedly retaliated against the compliance officer by having the individual reassigned.
It will be interesting to see how Stanford moves forward without Taylor, especially with Andrew Luck returning to try and revitalize the once-proud program.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
