Stanford hires former Cal quarterback and Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor

Stanford University turned local to fill its football coaching vacancy in hopes of reviving the dormant Cardinal program.

Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor, a former quarterback for Stanford’s rival Cal, has been hired to replace David Shaw after three losing seasons in the past four years at Palo Alto.

During that same time, the 54-year-old Taylor has led Sacramento State to the FCS playoffs three times, and likely would have been 4 for 4 had the program not been shut down by the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Sacramento State went 30-8 with a 23-1 record in a tough Big Sky Conference with Taylor. The Hornets lost a wild quarterfinal game on Friday night, 66-63 against Incarnate Word.

“The opportunity to lead the best student-athletes in the country is truly a dream come true, and I would like to thank President (Marc) Tessier-Lavigne, Chancellor (Persis) Drell and (Athletic Director) Bernard Muir,” he said. Taylor. in a sentence. “I believe Stanford soccer is perfectly positioned to become champions on the soccer field while maintaining our reputation for world-class academic excellence.”

Shaw resigned last month after 12 seasons following the final game of a 3-9 season. The winningest coach in school history was fighting to change the trajectory of a program that was the dominant team in the Pac-12 during the first half of his tenure.

Stanford’s fall coincides with the easing of transfer rules at major soccer universities. The elite academic school can’t add to its roster via transfer as easily as most of its competition in the Pac-12 and nationally.

Taylor, a California native, played quarterback for Stanford’s rival Cal and had a short NFL career in the early 1990s before becoming a coach at the high school and college levels.

“Troy is a proven winner who has been successful on many levels of soccer,” Muir said in a statement. ‘Throughout our visits together, he demonstrated an understanding of what makes Stanford special and a deep desire to capitalize on our unique strengths. He possesses an incredible soccer mind and has a long history of deep concern for the student-athletes he leads.’

Taylor was the offensive coordinator at Utah in 2017-18 before landing his first head coaching job at Sacramento State in 2019.