Sacramento State head coach Andy Thompson is resigning to join Troy Taylor's Stanford staff, sources told FootballScoop on Friday. ESPN first reported the news.
Thompson replaced Taylor when Taylor took the Stanford job after the 2022 season, and served as his defensive coordinator for the four seasons prior, a run that saw the Hornets go 30-8 overall and 23-1 in the rough-and-tumble Big Sky Conference.
Sacramento State went 8-5 and won an FCS playoff game in Thompson's first season of 2023, but slipped to 3-9 this fall. Meanwhile, Stanford has posted back-to-back 3-9 seasons under Taylor.
Thompson's departure comes as Sacramento State has released renderings for a planned football stadium, and a group within the Sacramento business community have pushed to get the Hornets into the Pac-12. Time will tell if the Sacramento State ever gets there, but Thompson is making his own move west to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Update: Sacramento State has announced Thompson's resignation.
"We want to thank Coach Thompson and his family for all they have done for Sacramento State football over the last five seasons," Director of Athletics Mark Orr said. "Under his watch, the program has achieved its highest level of success. We wish him the best of luck in the future."