Kashif Moore is on the move again - and this time, he’s headed to the Big Ten.
After a coaching journey that’s taken him from high school sidelines to the FBS ranks, Moore is reportedly joining Matt Campbell’s new staff at Penn State as the Nittany Lions’ wide receivers coach. It’s a significant step for the 37-year-old, who has steadily climbed the coaching ladder since hanging up his cleats.
Moore’s football roots run deep. A former standout wide receiver at UConn from 2008 to 2011, he was named a team captain as a senior and graduated ranked among the top 10 in school history with 126 receptions.
Over 50 games, he racked up 1,699 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns - plus one more on the ground - averaging a solid 13.5 yards per catch. While he never played in an NFL game, Moore signed contracts with the Bengals, Colts, Steelers, and Chiefs, gaining valuable experience in pro systems as a practice squad player.
That foundation laid the groundwork for his transition to coaching. Moore got his start at the high school level, working under his former UConn receivers coach Matt Cersosimo from 2019 to 2020.
When the pandemic disrupted the 2020 season, he shifted to a player development role at Wesleyan. From there, his coaching résumé began to take shape.
In 2021, Moore coached running backs at Cornell, then moved on to Albany in 2022 to work with wide receivers. His big break came in 2023 when Jim Mora brought him back to UConn - this time on the coaching staff.
That season, Moore oversaw a pair of productive receivers in TJ Sheffield and Skyler Bell. Sheffield hauled in 54 catches for 505 yards, while Bell emerged as a dynamic playmaker with 860 receiving yards on the same number of receptions.
But it was 2025 when Moore’s impact truly turned heads. Bell exploded for an All-America season, catching 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns - numbers that ranked among the best in the nation and earned him a spot as a Biletnikoff Award finalist. It was a breakout year that not only elevated Bell’s national profile but also solidified Moore’s reputation as a rising star in the coaching ranks.
Moore followed Mora to Colorado State ahead of the 2026 season, as the Rams prepare for their first campaign in the newly reorganized Pac-12. But before coaching a single game in Fort Collins, Moore appears to have accepted the opportunity to join one of college football’s most tradition-rich programs in Penn State. It’s a move that signals both his upward trajectory and Penn State’s commitment to developing elite talent at the wide receiver position under Campbell’s leadership.
As for UConn, new head coach Jason Candle has already moved to fill the vacancy. He’s brought in Kerry Dixon to lead the Huskies’ wide receiver room.
Dixon brings a wealth of experience, having coached running backs at FIU, FAU, Montana State, and Toledo (where he previously worked under Candle), and wide receivers at Florida, Georgia Tech, and Kent State. He also spent two seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
For Moore, this new chapter at Penn State is a testament to the work he’s put in - from grinding on practice squads to helping mold All-Americans. Now, he steps into a spotlight that’s only getting brighter.