Report: Investigation Found Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Bullied Staffers

Documents obtained by ESPN indicate former Cal quarterback Taylor made inappropriate comments

Stanford head coach Troy Taylor / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Two investigations found that  Stanford football coach Troy Taylor had belittled and bullied female members of the athletic staff, according to an ESPN report based on documents it obtained.

Taylor, who was a quarterback at Cal from 1986 to 1989, acknowledged in a letter signed in February 2024 that he could be dismissed as coach if his unacceptable behavior continued, according to the documents obtained by ESPN.

A second investigation ended in July 2024 after additional complaints were made.

According to the ESPN report, Taylor released this statement on Wednesday:

"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."

Stanford provided the following statement through a university spokesman, according to ESPN:

"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."

According to the ESPN report, one of the specific complaints against Taylor was that he tried to have an NCAA compliance officer removed from her position after she told him about possible rules violations. He also allegedly made multiple inappropriate statements to a female regarding her appearance.

Taylor has not been dismissed. He has been the Cardinal’s head coach for two seasons, going 3-9 both years.