Stanford Cardinal barely moves the needle in national conversations. Especially when stacked against the SEC powerhouses that dominate headlines. Most fans don’t spend their Saturdays wondering about the state of the Cardinal program, and even fewer SEC insiders would claim to know much about what’s happening in Palo Alto. But this week, that changed in an instant. A never-before-seen situation unfolded at Stanford—one that feels more like an NFL front office power move than a typical college football decision.
In a stunning turn of events, the program’s general manager, a former Stanford football legend, fired head coach Troy Taylor after just two seasons.
This wasn’t about on-field results, though a 3-9 record in back-to-back years didn’t help. It was about something deeper, something messier, and something that could send ripple effects beyond the Pac-12’s final days. The firing comes less than a week after an ESPN report revealed that Taylor had been the subject of two third-party investigations into allegations of hostile behavior toward athletic department employees.
With that report fresh in the public eye, Stanford’s GM decided to take action. “It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change,” he said in a statement provided to The Athletic. “Additionally, in recent days, there has been significant attention to Stanford investigations in previous years related to Coach Taylor. After continued consideration, it is evident to me that our program needs a reset.”
The GM, of course, is none other than former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, now leading the Cardinal football operation. Luck took over as GM in November, making Taylor his direct report, and just a few months later, he made one of the most dramatic calls in recent CFB history. He didn’t sugarcoat it.
He didn’t wait until after the 2024 season. He ripped the bandage off immediately. Now, Stanford is without a head coach, just weeks before spring ball, and the fallout could be significant. That fallout may extend far beyond the ACC—or what’s left of it. That SEC Podcast hosts Mike and Shane took notice, and while they admitted they don’t follow Stanford football closely, they recognized an opportunity for SEC teams. “This has nothing to do with the SEC. But maybe you know, maybe they look around and they say, ‘Hey Mike Bobo would you like to be Stanford coach, hey you know, coordinator would you like to?’ This could have some ramifications in the SEC to come. I’m not saying it will, but I’m just saying it’s a possibility.” Mike said.
Shane added, “I mean it’s not a dream job but a coveted job. So I would imagine there’s some big names floating around here.” Now, they weren’t predicting a mass exodus, but the possibility of players transferring out of Stanford suddenly became very real.
A statement from Stanford Football General Manager Andrew Luck.
» https://t.co/Gb677bSF5u pic.twitter.com/Tk0YBa88t9
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) March 25, 2025
“Obviously it’s going to s–k for the team this late into it, but it does open up the door for transfers,” Shane continued. “Everybody on the roster is available, right? So you better believe you better—you may be curious what is on that Stanford roster right now because it may be in your SEC locker room.” And that’s where things get really interesting.
Stanford isn’t exactly a five-star factory, but that doesn’t mean SEC teams won’t be watching. The 2024 recruiting class doesn’t feature any marquee names, but there’s still talent to be found. “Stanford recruiting class 2024—I wouldn’t imagine they got any studs in here, but uh Oh here we go; oh they got a four-star from Canada; he may go back to Canada,” Mike joked. Even if Stanford isn’t loaded with future NFL talent, some of their players could absolutely contribute as depth pieces or role players on SEC teams. If there’s a highly intelligent, athletic backup looking for a bigger stage, there’s no better place than the SEC.
Luck, for his part, made it clear that Stanford isn’t just hitting the reset button on Taylor. They’re trying to reshape the program entirely. “In consultation with university leadership, I no longer believe that Coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program,” Luck said, officially signaling the start of a coaching search. He’s expected to name an acting coach for the 2025 season while the school works on finding a long-term solution. It’s an unusual situation—one where a former star player, not an athletic director, is making major football decisions.
That alone could shift the power dynamic at Stanford moving forward. How much influence will Luck have in the hiring process? Does his presence make Stanford more appealing to potential candidates? And just how much change is coming to a program that, frankly, has been in decline since David Shaw’s early years?
It’s a reminder that even at a place like Stanford—where academics and athletics often have a delicate balance—big-time football decisions are still made in ruthless fashion.
Stanford’s ugly Troy Taylor fuss
Things got messy in Palo Alto as Stanford head coach Troy Taylor found himself at the center of multiple investigations. According to a March 19 ESPN report, the university launched two separate probes into Taylor’s behavior after multiple employees filed official complaints in 2023 and 2024. What were the complaints? Allegations of aggressive and hostile behavior, particularly toward female colleagues. That’s not a good look.
Stanford first brought in Kate Weaver Patterson of KWP Consulting & Mediation in the spring of 2023 to investigate. But things didn’t stop there. When two more complaints surfaced, Stanford commissioned a second investigation last June, this time led by the law firm of Libby, O’Brien, Kingsley & Champion.
The biggest bombshell came from investigator Timothy O’Brien, who found that Taylor’s actions toward an NCAA female compliance officer were “inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her s-x” after she flagged potential NCAA violations.
And yes, violations were found. O’Brien uncovered seven Level III NCAA violations from 2022 to 2024, including illegal practices and eligibility concerns. That all lead to his catastrophe.
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