Former Stanford coach Troy Taylor files defamation suit against ESPN, reporter over story about his bullying allegations

Former Stanford football coach Troy Taylor isn't happy with the way he was portrayed in an ESPN article that may have ultimately led to his firing. Taylor reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against ESPN and reporter Xuan Thai for making false statements intended to smear Taylor's reputation, according to a complaint obtained by The Athletic.

Taylor took issue with an ESPN article written by Thai in March which accused Taylor of bullying and belittling female staffers. Shortly after that report emerged, Taylor was fired by team general manager Andrew Luck. In his statement, Luck cited "significant attention to Stanford investigations" as part of the reason for the firing.

Thai's report alleged multiple instances in which Taylor was found to have bullied and belittled female staff members. At least two investigations were performed, both of which found evidence of "concerning behavior by Coach Taylor."

In his lawsuit, Taylor reportedly cited a different ESPN article published in April, which he believed refuted the original report. The second article, published by Thai in April, noted "a single complainant" led to the initial investigation into Taylor's conduct and that an investigator found "insufficient evidence" regarding that complaint.

Thai's April article did include those statements. But in between those quotes, Thai wrote the following:

"The investigation ultimately included interviews with at least 20 Stanford athletic department staffers regarding four allegations against Taylor. Three of the allegations regarding belittling and inappropriate behavior toward multiple women were deemed to have merit."

Earlier that day, Taylor released a statement claiming he was not fired for cause by Stanford. In that statement, Taylor claimed, "The media's portrayal of me is unfair, wrong and contrary to my professional track record and the person I am and have always been."

Despite those claims, Taylor has not issued a lawsuit against Stanford.

Both of Thai's articles remain available on ESPN's website. The network did not issue comment to The Athletic regarding Taylor's lawsuit.

Prior to his firing, Taylor spent two seasons to Stanford. He went 3-9 in both 2023 and 2024. The team was set to bring him back for a third season in 2025 prior to his firing in March.