This college football coaching cycle has been one of the most active hiring spectacles in recent memory. With so many top-of-the-line jobs coming open, smaller programs like Washington State are seeing their coaches poached by Power 4 vacancies.
This was the case for the Cougars’ former head coach, Jimmy Rogers, who was hired by Iowa State after the Cyclones’ former head coach, Matt Campbell, was hired by Penn State.
It truly is a beautiful cycle.
But the Cougars were able to get their retribution Friday afternoon when they made their plans to hire Missouri Tigers offensive coordinator Kirby Moore as their new head coach.
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The former SEC playcaller is the latest in the storied football family to get his big break.
Kirby Moore’s Famous Football Family
Let’s start at the top with Kirby’s father, Tom Moore.
Tom Moore is a legendary high school football coach in Washington state.
“Over his 23-year tenure at Prosser High School, Tom produced an incredible 234-38 record, winning four state championships and 21 league titles. His success turned Prosser into a Washington powerhouse,” wrote Anusha Singh for Essentially Sports.
Father Tom’s coaching style molded his two sons, Kirby and Kellen, into top-tier collegiate athletes.
Kirby’s brother Kellen is not only the current head coach for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. He is also the winningest quarterback in FBS college football history.
You read that right.
Kellen Moore finished his career at Boise State with a record of 50-3.
He was a Heisman finalist in 2010, sharing the stage with Cam Newton and Andrew Luck after throwing for 3,845 yards and 35 touchdowns.
In four years with the Broncos, Moore threw for a total of 14,667 yards, 142 touchdowns, and only 28 interceptions.
Kirby made a name for himself playing high school football with his brother when he set a national record with 95 receiving touchdowns in his four-year high school career.
Kirby also took his talents to Boise State, where he finished his four-year career with more than 1,000 yards before taking an interest in coaching.
Kirby Moore’s Resumé at Missouri
While at Missouri, Moore has delivered the Tigers’ offense to national prominence.
Hired in 2023, Moore’s offense led the Tigers to their best three-year stretch in team history with a record 29-9 and back-to-back bowl game wins.
Moore has also consistently developed NFL players, which is a strong edge in recruiting discussions.
This week, Moore’s former quarterback Brady Cook is set to make his NFL debut start for the New York Jets. Offensive tackle Armand Membou became a top-ten pick, and wide receiver Luther Burden was drafted in the first ten picks of round two.
Moore started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington before taking a wide receivers coach job with Fresno State.
At Fresno State, Moore worked under former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer for six seasons. When DeBoer left to take the job with the Huskies, Moore was promoted to offensive coordinator.
After just one year of calling plays for Fresno, Moore was poached by the SEC.
Now he earns another promotion as he looks to provide some much-needed stability for the Cougars.
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