It’s been nearly 20 years since WSU hired a head football coach who had a link to the university (former player Paul Wulff). So when Jimmy Rogers announced recently that he was leaving for Iowa State after one season in Pullman, fans called for the university to replace him with a coach who has WSU or Northwest ties.
Enter Moore. The Prosser, Washington native and former Boise State player was an up-and-coming assistant coach at the University of Missouri, when he agreed to take the job in Pullman.
“He may not have graduated from WSU, but this man is a Coug through and through,” said interim athletic director Jon Haarlow, who hired Moore and introduced him at a press conference in Pullman on Tuesday.
“It feels great to be home. I'm really honored for this incredible opportunity. Being an eastern Washington kid, I grew up following the Coug success, especially in football,” Moore said. “Our spring breaks consisted of coming to Cougar spring practice. My brother, Kellen, and I, with (former coaches) Mike Price and Bill Doba, and following their success.”
Moore has coaching in his DNA. His father Tom coached the Prosser High School Mustangs for 21 years, winning four state titles. His brother Kellen is the head coach of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
Now Kirby Moore will have the responsibility of leading Washington State into the revamped Pac-12 Conference next fall. Six new teams will join the league, including Moore’s alma mater.
“I want to help our guys chase two dreams, a life with football and a life without football. While we're doing that, we have to develop an elite edge while competing for championships,” he said.
His work begins immediately. The Cougars will leave this week for Boise to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game against Utah State next Monday. Moore won’t coach that game. That task falls to Interim Coach Jesse Bobbit, who will then join Rogers at Iowa State.
Between now and Washington State’s first game next September, Moore will try to retain players from the current squad who might have options to play elsewhere and recruit a few more to fill holes in the roster.
Haarlow, meanwhile, will be raising money to pay some of those players.
“Cougar Nation, it's our turn to do our part and wrap this program with support,” he said. “Support comes in many different ways, whether that's buying tickets, showing up, supporting student athletes through scholarships, contributing to NIL through the Cougar Athletic Fund, or supporting the Cougar Collective.”
When the Cougars take the field next September for the 2026 season, Haarlow says they’ll do so in improved surroundings, including a larger video board, better audio and new lighting at Gesa Field.
