Stanford to hire Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor as next head coach

After Jason Garrett said no, Stanford has its next head coach in its sights. The Cardinal is turning to the FCS level.

Stanford is gearing up to hire Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor to replace David Shaw, On3’s Matt Zenitz confirmed. Taylor has been with Sacramento State since 2019 and totaled a 30-8 record with the Hornets. Friday night, their season ended with a loss to Incarnate Word in the FCS Quarterfinals, paving the way for Taylor to take the Stanford job Saturday.

By taking over at Stanford, he’ll be returning to the Pac-12.

From 2017-18, Taylor served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah. The Utes averaged 29.5 and 28.1 points per game, respectively, during Taylor’s two years with the program. He also played college football at Cal and worked with the Golden Bears as an assistant from 1996-2000. The Stanford job will be his first FBS head coaching opportunity.

Stanford went 3-9 this year in the last year of Shaw’s tenure. He resigned following the season, and the Cardinal embarked on a search that included Garrett. Although he interviewed for the job, the former Dallas Cowboys coach opted to stay at NBC, where he serves as an analyst.

“Thanks so much to AD Bernard Muir and everyone at Stanford!” Garrett tweeted late Thursday. “While I enjoyed exploring a great opportunity at such a special place, I’m so excited to continue my work at NBC on Football Night in America and with Notre Dame Football!”

Shaw took over at Stanford in 2011 after Jim Harbaugh departed for the San Francisco 49ers. During his time with the Cardinal, he amassed a 96-54 record, including a 65-40 mark in Pac-12 play. But the last few years didn’t go well for Stanford as the Cardinal went 14-28 overall, including back-to-back 3-9 seasons.