Stanford tabs Sacramento State’s Taylor as coach

Sacramento State’s Troy Taylor has been named the new football coach at Stanford, the school announced on Saturday.

Taylor, who graduated from Cal, has been the coach at Sacramento State since 2019. The Hornets were upset by Incarnate Word in the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs on Friday night, paving the way for Taylor’s move to Stanford.

“I am thrilled to be the new head football coach at Stanford University,” Taylor said in a statement. “The opportunity to lead the finest student-athletes in the country is truly a dream come true, and I would like to thank President Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Drell and Bernard Muir. I believe that Stanford Football is perfectly positioned to become champions on the football field while maintaining our world-class reputation for academic excellence.”

Taylor, 54, is a two-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year (2019, ’21) won the 2019 Eddie Robinson Award as FCS coach of the year and is a finalist again this year after leading his team to a 12-0 record before Friday’s loss.

“I am excited to welcome Troy and his family to Stanford,” director of athletics Bernard Muir said in a statement. “Troy is a proven winner who has experienced success at many levels of football. Throughout our visits together he demonstrated an understanding of what makes Stanford special, and a deep desire to capitalize on our unique strengths. He possesses an incredible football mind and has a long history of caring deeply for the student-athletes he leads. I am excited for the next chapter of Cardinal football and eager for our student-athletes to experience Troy’s passion, wisdom and leadership.”

The Stanford job opened when David Shaw resigned in November after 12 seasons. He was the winningest coach in Stanford history with a 96-54 record. His resignation came after back-to-back 3-9 seasons and a 14-28 stretch since the start of 2019.

Former Dallas Cowboys coach, Jason Garrett, was reportedly interested in the job but removed himself from consideration on Thursday.