After a pair of upset-wins in the program's debut season under Troy Taylor as part of an overall 3-9 2023 campaign, Stanford has worked to ink its assistant coaches to amended contracts, FootballScoop has learned.
The Cardinal lost assistant coach Klayton Adams a couple months into Taylor's tenure last year when the NFL's Arizona Cardinals hired away Adams from his post as Stanford's offensive line coach and running game coordinator.
Now, numerous sources have told FootballScoop, any such move to snag another Stanford assistant will come with a much heftier price-tag.
Per multiple sources with direct, first-hand knowledge, Stanford has worked to extend the contracts of its roster of assistant coaches with at least an additional year onto the original terms.
But there's a considerable new wrinkle: the updated contracts come with a hefty financial penalty if a coach seeks to leave for anything other than a decisive promotion.
The buyout clause in the contracts, FootballScoop has learned, was doubled from a 50-percent fee to a full, 100-percent clause in the new deals.
Buyout clauses for assistant coaches typically range anywhere from 25 to 50% to voluntarily leave a program for another opportunity, per contracts viewed by FootballScoop.
One Group of Five program did implement 100%-buyout clauses on new staff hires, and other programs had scaled buyouts that were more expensive if a coach departed for a direct rival.
Regardless, as Stanford enters Year 2 of the Taylor era, it is positioning the staff under Taylor to proceed with great caution before accepting a new opportunity.
The Cardinal open the 2024 season Aug. 30 at home against TCU in a Friday night TV contest.
Transitioning to its new residency in the ACC, Stanford begins league play Friday, Sept. 20 at Syracuse and again flies cross-country the ensuing week with a trip to Clemson.