It had to happen for longtime Notre Dame football rival Stanford, but the announcement that the Cardinal fired head coach Troy Taylor on Tuesday morning is still a massive blow to a school that -to be honest - is one of those that feels as though finding its footing won’t be easy in the new world of college athletics.
Taylor’s firing still seemed like a foregone conclusion after a report last week indicated two separate investigations into his treatment of female colleagues. At the time, it was also announced he’d been fined by the school.
New Stanford General Manager Andrew Luck issued a statement on Tuesday that laid out the reason the Notre Dame football rival parted ways with their head coach, just as the football program is ramping up for spring practice.
Notre Dame football rival on the lookout for new head coach
That Stanford didn’t want to wait until a better time to get rid of Taylor hints that Luck simply couldn’t abide having a coach that was under that kind of fire on staff any longer. It’s also worth pointing out that Luck hasn’t been looking at this situation as long as some others.
The former Cardinal and NFL quarterback took the position of GM at the end of last November. The report from ESPN last week likely jumpstarted the need for a real reaction sooner, rather than later.
Taylor had only helmed the long-time Notre Dame football rival for two seasons. He was hired away from Sacramento State in 2023 and, in his two years at the helm, posted identical 3-9 records.
For now, the Cardinal haven’t announced an interim coach though in his statement, Luck said there may not be a permanent hire for the 2025 season. What is known is that when Notre Dame football faces off against Stanford to close out the regular season, it will have a different man at the helm.