[GK3]

Fair point on the talent.  This does have all the appearances of tearing the program completely apart and starting over, (this season is probably a lost cause) with Reich doing his friend a solid, probably without a lot of personal downside. If Stanford wins fewer than 3 games, no one is surprised. I'm sure the reaction to Reich is that he is a stand-up guy who knows offense and someone has to run practice starting tomorrow, for whomever has no other place to go. Not too many people are going to tune in this fall to see what Frank Reich can do (as opposed to say a splash Sanders hire in Boulder). But I like it. Pragmatic and patient over style and splash. I don't know if anything can move Stanford's fanbase needle, so why not go for something more foundational without being rushed. What's one more crappy season (marginally more crappy than if Luck kept Taylor another year), with the promise, not guarantee, of getting it right 6-9 months from now?

I am somewhat surprised they did not go the internal route, but that might say more about who was there internally and what Luck thinks of them.

NFL coaching can be hard to assess. So much is on the GM. Why did Pete Carroll suck with the Jets but win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks? Why did Belichick suck with the Browns but win eight Super Bowls with the Patriots? Sure, they grew over time, but the organizations have a lot to do with it too.  Why did Taylor win so many games so quickly at Sac State and suck at Stanford? Can't just be Skattebo, can it?

Still, I'm curious if Taylor was fired for cause.

I was pretty up in the air about this hire until the press conference.  Andrew sold the deal as far as I am concerned.  I think he feels that Taylor did little to improve or teach his assistant coaches and one think Reich brings is a history of developing second line management so to speak. 
In a way this now seems more like Harbaugh II. We bring in a head coach who is going to demand improvement by both his assistants and the players. Standards will be set for both coaches and players.  Players will now have a HC who played 14 years in the NFL.  No matter who you are that has to count for something. Secondly he played QB in the NFL for 14 years, how many guys have done that?  Brown and Bachmier will pay attention.  Plus I think Reich and Luck both see talent in the guys Taylor hired but never developed and now they are going to develop or move on.
Most of all I like the fact that our new President seems all in on continuing our Football Program.  Without that, there is no chance.

[GK3]

Fair point on the talent.  This does have all the appearances of tearing the program completely apart and starting over, (this season is probably a lost cause) with Reich doing his friend a solid, probably without a lot of personal downside. If Stanford wins fewer than 3 games, no one is surprised. I'm sure the reaction to Reich is that he is a stand-up guy who knows offense and someone has to run practice starting tomorrow, for whomever has no other place to go. Not too many people are going to tune in this fall to see what Frank Reich can do (as opposed to say a splash Sanders hire in Boulder). But I like it. Pragmatic and patient over style and splash. I don't know if anything can move Stanford's fanbase needle, so why not go for something more foundational without being rushed. What's one more crappy season (marginally more crappy than if Luck kept Taylor another year), with the promise, not guarantee, of getting it right 6-9 months from now?

I am somewhat surprised they did not go the internal route, but that might say more about who was there internally and what Luck thinks of them.

NFL coaching can be hard to assess. So much is on the GM. Why did Pete Carroll suck with the Jets but win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks? Why did Belichick suck with the Browns but win eight Super Bowls with the Patriots? Sure, they grew over time, but the organizations have a lot to do with it too.  Why did Taylor win so many games so quickly at Sac State and suck at Stanford? Can't just be Skattebo, can it?

Still, I'm curious if Taylor was fired for cause.

I was pretty up in the air about this hire until the press conference.  Andrew sold the deal as far as I am concerned.  I think he feels that Taylor did little to improve or teach his assistant coaches and one think Reich brings is a history of developing second line management so to speak. 
In a way this now seems more like Harbaugh II. We bring in a head coach who is going to demand improvement by both his assistants and the players. Standards will be set for both coaches and players.  Players will now have a HC who played 14 years in the NFL.  No matter who you are that has to count for something. Secondly he played QB in the NFL for 14 years, how many guys have done that?  Brown and Bachmier will pay attention.  Plus I think Reich and Luck both see talent in the guys Taylor hired but never developed and now they are going to develop or move on.
Most of all I like the fact that our new President seems all in on continuing our Football Program.  Without that, there is no chance.