Kirby Moore Makes Homecoming as Washington State Cougars’ New Football Coach

Missouri Tigers football offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kirby Moore answers questions from reporters before the basketball game against the Vanderbilt Commodores Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Closing in on the 2025 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State, the Washington State Cougars have hired former Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore as their 36th head football coach, replacing the departed Jimmy Rogers after he bolted to take Iowa State’s coaching vacancy.

Hired by interim athletic director Jon Haarlow, Moore is expected to take the reins after Washington State’s bowl game, as defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit will serve as interim coach against Utah State.

"Coach Moore is the real deal, and exactly who we needed to propel us to the top of the new Pac-12," WSU President Elizabeth Cantwell said in a statement. "Our student-athletes have lucked out. This man cares deeply not only about winning, but their success on and off the field. We look forward to welcoming Coach Moore and his family to Pullman, and to Coug Nation. Join me in wrapping Coach Moore in Cougar Pride. Go Cougs!" 

Moore, a native of Prosser, Washington, grew up 167 miles from Pullman with his brother, New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore. The two brothers played together at Boise State under coach Chris Peterson before graduating and jumping into the coaching space in 2014.

After transitioning into coaching, Moore spent a season with Idaho as a wide receivers coach and two seasons with Washington as a graduate assistant before heading to Fresno State from 2017 to 2022, working his way up the coaching ladder from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator in his final year. In the 2022 season, the Fresno State offense led the Mountain West in yards per game and points per game, and Moore helped the Bulldogs to a 28-16 Mountain West Championship win over the Boise State Broncos.

Following a successful stint at Fresno State, Moore made the jump to Missouri, where he kept orchestrating high level offenses against SEC competition. In 2023, a Moore-led offense produced a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher, and 1,000-yard receiver that season, making the Tigers only the second team ever to accomplish that feat in the SEC. This past season, Missouri ranked 32nd in the country in points per game and boasted the league’s most potent rushing attack, ranking first with 234 rushing yards per game.

Now in Pullman for a homecoming of sorts, Moore takes over a Cougars offense that has struggled since the departure of now-Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. After being sixth in the country for points scored per game at 36.6 in 2024, Washington State ranked 112th in the nation in points scored per game at 21.6, managing to win six games primarily due to an improved defense.

"I'm honored and excited to join Washington State University as its new head football coach," Moore said via Washington State’s website. "Becoming a first-time head coach at a special place like Washington State is a dream come true for my family and I. I want to thank President Cantwell and Jon Haarlow for the opportunity to return home and continue the proud tradition of Cougar football. The future of our program is bright. I look forward to leading this team and making our state proud! 

With the Cougars set to join the new-look Pac-12 next season, they will do so by bringing some Pacific Northwest flavor to the helm with Moore aiming to impress in his first ever head coaching opportunity.