Stanford fired head coach Troy Taylor on Tuesday following internal investigations into allegations of bullying and inappropriate behavior toward female staffers. The decision came from new general manager Andrew Luck, marking what’s believed to be the first time a college football GM has independently made such a personnel decision.
“It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change. Additionally, in recent days, there has been significant attention to Stanford investigations in previous years related to Coach Taylor,” Luck said in a statement. “After continued consideration it is evident 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.”
The timing of the dismissal is unusual in college football, where coaching changes typically occur in late November or early December.
Stanford now faces the challenge of conducting a head coaching search in mid-spring, when the candidate pool is often limited.
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has emerged as a potential candidate, according to 247Sports’ Grant Hughes.
“Kingsbury would be a splash hire for Stanford and help inject new life into a Cardinal offense that has ranked outside the top 100 in scoring each of the last four seasons,” Hughes wrote. “He has a proven track record of developing elite quarterbacks, from Patrick Mahomes and Johnny Manziel at the college level to Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels in the NFL, which could help sway quarterback Elijah Brown to stay in the fold.”
Kingsbury’s stock has risen after his work with rookie Jayden Daniels in Washington, helping the Commanders reach the NFC Championship while Daniels earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Due to Taylor’s firing, Cardinal players now have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal, outside the normal April 16-30 national window.
Elijah Brown, a former four-star prospect ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the 2024 class by 247Sports, appeared in three games last season. He threw for 274 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Hiring a quarterback developer like Kingsbury could help with player retention, though convincing him to leave the NFL might prove difficult for Stanford.
