Troy Taylor and Jason Garrett reportedly top candidates for Stanford head coaching job

The Stanford head coaching search has been narrowed down

We are about to enter a new era of Stanford football, with the Cardinal searching for a new head coach heating up. 

David Shaw, who walked away following what was the program's third losing season in the past four years, announced that he was stepping down following the last game. In doing so at the time he did, it forced Stanford to fall behind in terms of attempting to make an effort to use the transfer portal, and also has the Cardinal without a coach just a couple weeks before early signing day. 

There hasn't been much clarity on the coaching search, but from the jump I felt that there were certain candidates that the program needed to target. According to reports by ESPN's Pete Thamel and The Atheltic's Stewart Mandel, one candidate that I thought was the best fit in Sacramento State's Troy Taylor, is in the mix. However, the name that is joining him as a finalist came as a bit of a shock to the football world.

Mandel reported on Thursday that former Dallas Cowboys head coach, Jason Garrett has emerged as a finalist. 

According to Thamel, Taylor has already visited campus, while Garrett had one scheduled for later in the week. 

Sources: Former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor have emerged as Stanford's top coaching targets, confirming @slmandel report. Taylor visited campus earlier in the week and Garrett had a visit slated later in the week, per ESPN sources.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 8, 2022

Taylor is currently in the midst of the FCS Playoff, as he has led Sacramento State to an impressive 12-0 record. The Hornets are taking on Incarnate Word in the FCS Championship Quarterfinals on Friday. Garrett on the other hand has spent this past season in the booth calling Notre Dame and USFL games. 

There were murmurs we'd find out the coach by the end of the week, so it will be interesting to see which direction they decide to go to replace Shaw.