Former Sac State football coach investigated for ‘concerning behavior’ at Stanford
Troy Taylor, the Sacramento-raised football star who became one of the country’s top college football coaches, has reportedly been investigated for “concerning behavior” at Stanford tied to the university’s football program, of which he is the head coach.
ESPN reported that Taylor, the one-time Folsom High School and Sacramento State coach, allegedly “bullied and belittled female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations and repeatedly made ‘inappropriate’ comments to another woman about her appearance,” ESPN’s Xuan Thai wrote in a story published Wednesday.
The first investigation, ESPN reported, ended in February 2024, with Taylor signing a warning letter, which acknowledged that he could be terminated if the behavior continued. The second investigation ended in July, before his second season with the Cardinal. The investigations started after multiple employees complained that Taylor engaged in “aggressive and hostile behavior,” according to ESPN.
Taylor, 56, is coming off of back-to-back 3-9 seasons at Stanford after elevating Sacramento State upon his arrival there in 2019 into an immediate FCS powerhouse, winning three Big Sky Conference championships.
Said Taylor in a statement issued by Stanford on Wednesday: “I willingly complied with the investigations, accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and collegially with my colleagues so that we can achieve success for our football program together.”
In another statement from the school, Stanford said in part, “Stanford believes in upholding the highest standards of behavior in the workplace. ... The University received complaints regarding Coach Taylor and a third party investigated the matter thoroughly. Last summer, the University took appropriate measures, Coach Taylor received coaching, and he has committed to nurturing the respectful working environment that is essential to the success of all our athletics programs.”
Allegations in ESPN’s reporting did not include his tenure at Sacramento State, where he led the Hornets to their best football seasons in the 70-year history of the program. There were no formal complaints about Taylor’s conduct during his time at Sacramento State
Sacramento State wrote in a statement to The Sacramento Bee, “During his time with the Hornets, Coach Taylor led the football program to its highest level of success in school history and we continue to be very appreciative of his efforts.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 11:43 AM.