Andy Thompson officially resigned from his job as head coach at Sacramento State to accept a lesser position at a bigger college football program. He will continue his career at Stanford in a role yet to be announced.
This surprising voluntary demotion comes just two months after an earth-shattering report about the Hornets and the supposed NIL wealth for an FCS program in northern California.
Thompson, 44, previously served as the defensive coordinator at Sacramento State from 2019-2022 under Troy Taylor. Taylor left for Stanford in Dec. 2022 and Thompson was promoted in his place. The Hornets went 8-5 in 2023 with a win in the first round of the FCS playoffs. They failed to make the postseason at 3-9 in 2024.
Although Thompson’s seat was not scorching hot after his second year as the head coach, it was starting to get warm. He needed to return to the playoffs next season if he was going to keep his job into year four but it will not matter after all. He is on his way out.
This has become an underlying trend in college football over the last few years. A lot of high-profile head coaches at smaller schools are leaving for other opportunities at Power Five/Six programs or the NFL. It might be a surprise for Sacramento State but it’s nothing new.
However, the circumstances surrounding this sudden resignation are what make it interesting.
As the Pac-12 continues to redefine its future, the Hornets lobbied hard for a promotion. They wanted to jump up to the FBS level and were reportedly willing to spare no expense.
Josh Wood, the co-chairman of the university’s ‘Sac12’ executive committee, claimed to secure $35 million in NIL money from “local business and community leaders and a local tribe.” That number would put Sacramento State near the top of college football (on any level) in terms of funding.
And yet, despite the largest NIL budget on the FCS level, Andy Thompson would rather serve in a lesser role at Stanford. The math doesn’t add up…