Fallout at Stanford: Troy Taylor out, staff stunned, Andrew Luck goes into decision mode with options to weigh

Stanford legend Andrew Luck is once again at the center of the program he helped elevate more than a decade ago. This time, it’s not as a quarterback — but as the general manager, where he’s now leading a new era for Cardinal football.

On Tuesday, Luck made his most consequential move yet, firing head coach Troy Taylor. The decision, which he made in concert with University leadership but ultimately was his, came just days after ESPN reported Taylor was under investigation for employee abuse — a probe that had not been publicly known prior to the story’s publication. 

The news of the investigation caught much of the staff off guard. But it was Luck’s swift action to remove Taylor — particularly while the staff was away from the office while Stanford was on spring break — that truly blindsided many, sources close to the program told CBS Sports. The staff, many of them new, had been preparing for spring football. 

Stanford’s org chart was already the only one in college football that had the coach reporting to the general manager. Now Stanford finds itself in further uncharted territory.

There is no interim head coach named. Spring football was about to begin. Several assistants had just relocated to Palo Alto this offseason, anticipating Taylor’s third year at the helm. They now report directly to the 35-year-old Luck, who’s mostly on his own in hiring a new coach as his boss, athletics director Bernard Muir, is retiring at the end of the semester semester. Conversations with multiple sources in and around the Stanford football program paint a true choose-your-own-adventure path for Luck in the next few weeks. 

What’s next — interim or national search?

All eyes are on Luck, who is reportedly taking full control of the next…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/fallout-at-stanford-troy-taylor-out-staff-stunned-andrew-luck-goes-into-decision-mode-with-options-to-weigh/

Author : Brandon Huffman

Publish date : 2025-03-27 01:43:00

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