Stanford coach Troy Taylor has been the subject of multiple investigations relating to his conduct toward staffers and women since he took over the football program following the 2022 season, according to a report published by ESPN on Wednesday afternoon.
The investigations, which ESPN says cite more than 20 current and former members of the athletic department, reportedly found an “ongoing pattern of concerning behavior” by Taylor that included making “inappropriate” comments to a female staffer about her appearance, seeking to intimidate and remove a compliance officer, who was also a woman, and generally displaying behavior described as hostile and aggressive.
Stanford did not immediately respond to a request from this news organization to confirm the investigations but provided the following statement from Taylor to ESPN:
“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.”
Taylor, 56, was hired from Sacramento State in December 2022 to replace longtime coach David Shaw and, according to ESPN, had garnered his first complaint by May 2023. At the conclusion of the first investigation last February, he was reportedly warned that he could be fired if the conduct continued. He then came under a second investigation that concluded in July but has remained in his post, going 3-9 in each of his first two seasons.
In a separate statement to ESPN, a Stanford spokesperson said, “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.”
Andrew Luck, who served on the panel that hired Taylor and in November became his boss as the football program’s first-ever general manager, was in attendance at Stanford’s pro day Wednesday morning but gave no indication of controversy when he spoke to reporters about two hours before the story broke.
Asked about working with Taylor, Luck said: “It’s been fun. Part of my job is to make sure he has time to focus on X’s and O’s. It’s part of what makes him a great coach: Putting points on the board, playing aggressive, playing bold, playing fast. I’ve enjoyed working with him and all our staff.”
According to the investigations, however, staff members expressed fear of retaliation and personal attacks.
The first investigation accused Taylor of being “angry, aggressive and belittling at times,” leading to staffers being “scared to death to talk to him.” The second investigation unearthed similar behavior, calling Taylor “hostile and aggressive” and “unable to have a productive conversation without losing his temper.”
Taylor’s attitude toward a female compliance officer drew scrutiny in the second investigation, which concluded that he attempted to have her removed from her position out of retribution for raising concerns over rules violations, calling his his behavior “inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex.”
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In that report, the investigator noted that, “Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor’s tone was forceful and aggressive” and that in his experience advising other Division I programs, he had never encountered “this palpable level of animosity and disdain” for a university compliance office.
There were also concerns raised about Taylor’s interactions with women in the first report, which cited multiple complaints about “inappropriate comments” regarding a female staffer’s “appearance, smell, and interest in football.”
However, while that report found the culture under Taylor to be “not welcoming to women,” the investigator wrote that the program was not “welcoming to anyone … who cannot dedicate unrestricted time to the program” regardless of gender.
Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this report.
