Stanford GM Andrew Luck fires football coach Troy Taylor after bullying research

Stanford fired football coach Troy Taylor on Tuesday, less than a week after An ESPN report revealed That Taylor had twice been the subject of investigations from third parties into complaints from employees of the athletic department for hostile behavior.

Former Stanford -star Quarterback Andrew Luck, now the general manager of the football programs, Taylors immediately became a supervisor when taking the track last November and made the decision on Tuesday to end Taylor after just two seasons.

It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change, Luck said in a statement provided to Athletics. Moreover, considerable attention has been paid to Stanford investigations in previous years in previous years related to coach Taylor. After constant consideration, it is clear to me that our program needs a reset. In consultation with university leadership, I no longer believe that coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program.

Luck said that a search for the next coach started, and an acting coach can be named after the 2025 season.

A statement from Stanford Football General Manager Andrew Luck.

https://t.co/GB677BSF5U pic.twitter.com/tk0yba88t9

Stanford Football (@stanfordfball) March 25, 2025

Taylor, 56, was hired in December 2022 to replace the winning head coach in school history, David Shaw. He went 3-9 in each of his two seasons.

The March 19 ESPN report Said that Stanford ordered research in 2023 and 24 after several employees had submitted official complaints about the behavior of Taylors. Various complaints claimed that Taylor showed aggressive and hostile behavior towards colleagues, most of whom were women.

The investigation concluded that the behavior of Taylors was not in accordance with Stanford's standards, according to reporting ESPNS. But despite receiving a warning letter after the first investigation that he could be fired if the behavior continued, Taylor remained in service until Tuesday.

A person who was informed about the decision, said that Taylor received considerable disciplinary measures after the second investigation, including a financial fine and training at the workplace. The same person said that Luck knew some details of the Taylors situation with the school before he accepted the GM job and was officially informed after the start. A second person who was informed about the discussions of the last summers, said that former university President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, current university President Jon Levin, who started in August 2024, and Condolezza, special adviser on athletics, were involved in the discussions about disciplinary actions.

Athletic director Bernard Muir, who resigned earlier this month, was immediately a supervisor at the time. The second source said that the dismissal of Muirs was not related to Taylors disciplinary issues.

In a statement after the ESPN report last week, Taylor said, I willingly helped the study, I accepted the recommendations that came from them and used them as a learning option to grow in leadership and how I deal with others. I look forward to working together and colleagues with my colleagues, so that together we can achieve success for our football program.

Kate Weaver Patterson from KWP Consulting & Mediation was hired to conduct the first study in the spring of 2023. The subsequent report from Patterson detailed several complaints about Taylors behavior to female employees, including several cases of making inappropriate comments about their appearance, according to ESPN.

The report also showed that the Stanford Football program was an environment that was not hospitable for women.

After two new complaints against Taylor had surfaced, Stanford conducted a second investigation into Taylor last June by Libby's law firm, Obrien, Kingsley & Champion. According to ESPN, Timothy Obrien's report stated that Taylors' behavior towards a NCAA -feminine compliance officer was inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her gender when Taylor tried to remove her from her position after she had unveiled concern about NCAA rules, such as organizing illegal practices and player.

Obrien found seven level III NCAA -violations from 2022 to 2024, according to ESPNS report. The second investigation was closed last July.

Under coach Taylors Leadership, the football program ignored or simply did not follow NCAA rules that they have repeatedly and consistently trained by the Compliance Office, Obrien wrote in the documents obtained by ESPN.

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)