Andrew Luck has made his first big move as GM of Stanford’s football program, a role he began at his alma mater in December.
Luck fired Stanford football coach Troy Taylor on Tuesday afternoon, saying “certain aspects of the program need change” and citing “significant attention” around the university’s investigation into complaints about Taylor’s behavior. Last week, ESPN reported that the coach bullied and belittled female athletic staffers and repeatedly made inappropriate comments about one woman’s appearance.
“After continued consideration it is evident to me that our program needs a reset,” Luck said in a statement. “In consultation with university leadership, I no longer believe that coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program.”
Taylor was hired in 2023, and Stanford went 3–9 each of the past two seasons. Since the university is private, Taylor’s contract isn’t publicly available, so it’s unclear how much he was making and how much a buyout would cost Stanford, depending on whether his firing was with cause.
With the firing taking place well after this year’s college-football coaching cycle concluded, Luck said Stanford might name an acting head coach for the 2025 season.
Calling the Shots
Luck was one of several high-profile names who recently entered college football in the GM role that is becoming commonplace across athletic departments, including former Commanders and Panthers coach Ron Rivera at Cal (his alma mater) and former Browns GM Michael Lombardi at North Carolina alongside new coach Bill Belichick.
Typically, athletic directors hire and fire coaches, although those decisions at top football and men’s basketball programs typically include conversations with the university president and major donors, too.
Still, Luck’s move shows the new landscape of college football, with programs becoming more like their professional counterparts in the NFL.
