Kirby Moore has had no shortage of coaching influences to lean on, but the name that still carries the most pull is Chris Petersen.
Moore’s football education started at home with his father, Tom, a WIAA Hall of Famer at Prosser High School who coached both Kirby and Kellen. From there, Moore picked up more lessons working under Jeff Tedford and Kalen DeBoer at Fresno State, then Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri. But Petersen stands apart.
The two first crossed paths in 2009, when Moore joined Boise State as a player and became part of a program led by Petersen. Moore said he was drawn to Petersen right away because of the way he taught the receiver position.
“I wasn’t the fastest guy, so from that standpoint, he was probably very technical with that position - and his eyes kind of started there,” Moore said. “We had a lot of dialogue from that standpoint, and that is why I was able to play to the level I was … (what was going on) above the neck.”
Moore went on to catch 115 passes for 1,137 yards and six touchdowns at Boise State. A serious foot injury ended the second half of his redshirt senior season in 2013, but it also opened the door to coaching. Moore described that stretch as a “precursor” to his start in the profession.
“My way to stay involved was I had a headset, and was part of hearing dialogue between coaches, the signals and everything that comes with that,” Moore said.
After a year away, Moore followed Petersen to Washington, where Petersen had taken over as head coach, and became a graduate assistant. That stop expanded Moore’s understanding of receiver play, but it also showed him what it takes to build a new culture at a program that already had a history.
“I just had so much appreciation for him because it wasn’t a carbon copy (culture implementation),” Moore said. “He had to create a whole new culture, a whole new environment in Seattle - and it didn’t happen overnight.”
Washington didn’t take off immediately. The Huskies found their footing late, winning their final three games and beating Southern Mississippi 44-31 in the Dallas Bowl to finish 7-6.
“A lot of bumps - and passion and persistence to find a way,” Moore said. “In 2016, we took off.”
That was the last season Moore and Petersen worked together, but the lessons stuck. Now, as Moore tries to rebuild at Washington State, he has brought several of Petersen’s habits with him: detailed teaching, accountability, precision and, as he put it, not giving local media much to work with.
“We are teachers first, and everything starts in the classroom,” Moore said. “Obviously we are judged between the lines (with wins), but at the same time, we are with our players so much more in the meeting room, and walkthrough space … making sure we are very descriptive in our teaching.”
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WSU Offense Suddenly Has A Boise State Problem Fans Will Watch
Washington States offense is heading into the Boise State game with a couple of important injury questions hanging over it. Coach Kirby Moore said left tackle Ashton Tripp is day-to-day with an ankle injury, while wide receiver Darrius Clemons is also managing an ankle issue. Moore added that defensive ends Malachi Wrice and Michael Hughes are expected to be full-go this weekend, and he also addressed a separate talking point by saying NIL earnings do not factor into playing-time decisions.
The timing matters because both Tripp and Clemons fill spots that can shape how comfortable the Cougars feel on offense, especially against a Boise State opponent that will pressure any weakness it sees. Washington State has not had much room for error as it tries to settle things up front and keep its passing game on schedule, so the status of those two players is one to watch as kickoff gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces A New Road Problem At Washington State
Boise States trip to Pullman comes with a little more uncertainty than a typical road game, thanks to Washington States latest change under center. The Cougars have turned to redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman after moving on from Caden Pinnick, and the timing adds a fresh wrinkle to a matchup that already had plenty of numbers to sort through on both sides of the ball heading into Saturday.
For Boise State, the challenge is not just facing a new quarterback, but trying to do it on the road against a Washington State team still settling into its revised offensive identity. The statistical comparison of the two teams key players suggests there are matchups worth watching all over the field, and Eshelmans first extended look gives the Cougars at least one variable the Broncos could not have fully planned around. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Moore Faces A Personal Test As Cougars Meet Boise State
Kirby Moore has already spent enough time around Boise State to understand why this matchup feels different. The first-year Washington State head coach is preparing to face the school where he once played receiver, and it comes with the extra layer that he knows the program from both sides of the line. He has coached against the Broncos before, but this one lands closer to home, with a familiar opponent and a familiar coach in Spencer Danielson on the other sideline.
Moore has pointed to Boise States balance as the challenge, praising an offense that can control games and a defense that has been just as sturdy. For Washington State, the meeting is as much about handling a well-rounded opponent as it is about the personal backdrop for its new coach. It also leaves a meaningful thread hanging: how Moores ties to Boise State will shape the tone of the game once the ball is actually kicked off. [Read more 🡒]