Xuan Thai
Former Stanford head football coach Troy Taylor released a statement about his firing on Wednesday, taking issue with the findings of two separate workplace investigations conducted during his two years as head coach.
Taylor said he was not fired for cause and called coverage of the firing “unfair.” In a statement posted on X by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Taylor acknowledged that both investigations were launched after complaints were made about his workplace behavior.
Taylor did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in his statement, although he said he had not obtained the text of the two investigation reports in which multiple complainants were quoted.
ESPN obtained copies of both investigations and was first to report on the findings. Taylor described the first investigation, concluded in mid-2023, as involving only one complaint and one complainant.
While the investigation was initially launched in response to a single complainant who alleged gender bias and “a culture problem in football,” the investigation ultimately included interviews with at least 20 Stanford athletic department staffers regarding four allegations against Taylor. Three of the allegations regarding belittling and inappropriate behavior toward multiple women were deemed to have merit. The investigator did find “insufficient evidence” regarding the original complaint.
“Although I disagreed with the [first] complaint, I took it seriously and fully cooperated.” Taylor said in the statement. “The [first] investigation, which I have still never seen, concluded I did not act unfairly.”
Taylor called media coverage of him “unfair, wrong, and contrary to my professional record and the person that I am and have always been.”
ESPN reached out to Taylor’s attorney for additional comment, but did not get an immediate response. Additionally, Stanford did not immediately respond to ESPN’s inquiries about Taylor’s statement.
Taylor was fired in March, a week after ESPN reported findings that Taylor had bullied and belittled multiple 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.
Andrew Luck, the team’s general manager and former star quarterback, said at the time that the team needed a “reset.”
“Since beginning my role as General Manager, I have been thoroughly assessing the entire Stanford football program. It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change,” Luck said in a statement. “Additionally, in recent days, there has been significant attention to Stanford investigations in previous years related to Coach Taylor.”
The investigations began after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, the reports said. The school hired Kate Weaver Patterson, of KWP Consulting & Mediation, to investigate in spring 2023.
After the first investigation, Taylor signed a warning letter on Feb. 14, 2024, acknowledging he could be fired if the conduct continued, according to the documents. Additional complaints were documented in a second investigation in the first half of 2024, but Taylor remained on the job.
The second investigation cited evidence “that this is an ongoing pattern of concerning behavior by Coach Taylor.” It was conducted last June and July by Timothy O’Brien, senior counsel for the Libby, O’Brien, Kingsley & Champion law firm in Maine. O’Brien, who has advised several Division I and Power 5 programs, said in his report that he has never encountered “this palpable level of animosity and disdain” for a university compliance office.
“Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor’s tone was forceful and aggressive,” O’Brien wrote.
He called Taylor’s treatment of the team’s compliance officer “inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex,” saying it had a “significant negative impact” on the staffer. O’Brien concluded that Taylor retaliated against the compliance staffer by “seeking her removal from her assigned duties” after she raised concerns about NCAA rules violations related to illegal practices and player eligibility.
O’Brien outlined possible disciplinary procedures, including termination, under NCAA bylaws if an employee retaliates, “such as intimidating, threatening, or harassing an individual who has raised a claim.”
Taylor had back-to-back 3-9 seasons before he was fired. He was previously the head coach at Sacramento State.
