Troy Taylor says move to Stanford is final stop in his head coaching career
STANFORD -- Troy Taylor spoke Monday at his first in-person press conference since being announced as head coach of Stanford's football team.
Taylor, who led Sac State to a 12-1 record this season and 30-8 as Hornet head coach, was announced as Stanford's new head coach Saturday. At a press conference on Monday with Taylor, Stanford's athletic director Bernard Muir cited Taylor's quick success at Sac State.
"The turnaround he led at Sacramento State was remarkable. It wasn't until we had the chance to visit with Troy...that we realized we had found Stanford football's next leader, said Muir.
Taylor, wearing a Stanford hat and lapel pin, said coaching at Stanford was at the top of his list.
"To me, it's very clear, there's no place that I'd rather be than right here. When you say the name Stanford, people don't ask which Stanford. It attracts the very best. When you draw that type of player I don't know how you can't be successful," he said.
Taylor said this would be the last place he would work as head coach.
"This is my final destination. This is the final stop in my head coaching career," he said.
Taylor, who becomes the 35th head coach in program history, guided Sacramento State to a berth in the FCS quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Prior to the 2022 season, Sacramento State had never won an FCS Playoff game in its program history.
Under Taylor, Sacramento State's team ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense (42.9 ppg), fourth in total offense (499.8 ypg) and seventh in rushing offense (243.3 ypg). Sacramento State is the only FCS program that averaged at least 240 yards passing and 240 yards rushing per game, averaging 256.5 yards per game through the air and 243.3 on the ground.
Taylor takes over a Stanford program that has won 108 games since the start of the 2010 season - a total that ranks among the nation's top 20, with 31 of those wins coming against top-25 opponents, tied for the eighth-best mark in the country in that span.
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The Cardinal is 14th nationally with 50 draft picks since 2010, second-most in the Pac-12. Stanford is tied for eighth nationally with 10 consensus All-Americans since 2010, and its 15 Academic All-Americans in that span is five more than any other school nationally.
Since 2010, Stanford has appeared in nine bowl games, including three Rose Bowl Games, an Orange Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl.
Taylor, 54, and his wife, Tracey, have three children: sons, Noah and Aaron, and a daughter, Ella.