Kirby Moore
Career arc
As of Fri Oct 23
- Last gameL 30-48 at Oregon State Sat Oct 17
- This season1-6 lost 4 straight
- On track for2-9 regular season
- Nextvs. Boise State Sat Oct 24
- Stature80th of 138 FBS programs
Saturday: vs. Boise State
Sat Oct 24, 6 pm ET 
· No. 21 Boise State is 5-1 · First meeting between Moore and Spencer Danielson as head coaches · Washington State’s chance to win: 10% (the site’s model)
His week
12 stories this week →
The headlines, Oct 18–23 from 6 outlets
Yahoo SportsWashington State's Kirby Moore calls matchup with alma mater Boise State a 'tremendous opportunity'Tue Oct 20
Sports IllustratedHow Chris Petersen is influencing Kirby Moore's rebuild at Washington StateTue Oct 20
Washington State University AthleticsWSU Football: The Cougar Football Hour with Kirby Moore | Boise State Week | 10/21/26Thu Oct 22- SWX Local SportsKirby Moore set to face former team as WSU hosts No. 21 Boise StateWed Oct 21
- SWX Local SportsKirby Moore prepares for clash with the team that sprung his CFB career as WSU hosts Boise StateWed Oct 21
Seattle SportsKirby Moore on Owen Eshelman’s Debut At QB + Washington St. vs Boise St. PreviewTue Oct 20- Washington State University AthleticsWSU Football: Kirby Moore and Student-Athletes | Boise State Week Press Conference | 10/19/26Tue Oct 20
- Idaho PressOPPONENT PREVIEW: Washington State staff has strong Boise State connections, starting with Kirby MooreTue Oct 20
- Seattle SportsKirby Moore: New WSU QB ‘very decisive’ in debutTue Oct 20
Offense: 135th of 138 per play. Defense: 33rd.
4 games left
- Sat Oct 24vs. Boise State (5-1)10%
- Sat Oct 31at San Diego State (3-4)CBS Sports Network45%
- Sat Nov 14vs. Colorado State (2-4)CBS Sports Network57%
- Sat Nov 21at Texas State (3-3)12%
Percent: Washington State’s chance to win, from the site’s model. Records are through today. Networks as announced; the rest are set closer to kickoff.
How the season got here
Where Washington State stood among 138 FBS programs by stature after each game (1st is the highest; the CFB Zeitgeist ledger).
- Oct 12–18L 30-48 at Oregon State6 headlines · 47th of 138Kirby Moore Has NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME if Washington State's Offense Fails vs. Utah State First Coast News
- Oct 5–11L 16-17 at Utah State16 headlines · 29th of 138Kirby Moore faces tough questions about Washington State's offense after another frustrating loss Sports Illustrated
- Sep 28–Oct 4L 6-26 vs. Fresno State12 headlines · 39th of 138Kirby Moore knows exactly what Pac-12 opener means to WSU fans after waiting 1,000 days
247Sports - Sep 21–27 · rebuiltL 24-34 vs. Arizona9 headlines · 40th of 138
- Sep 14–20 · rebuiltW 48-7 vs. Duquesne11 headlines · 38th of 138Kirby Moore calm, cool and collected in first Crimson-infused victory 247Sports
- Sep 7–13 · rebuiltL 7-34 at Kansas State6 headlines · 59th of 138What WSU coach Kirby Moore said after loss to Kansas State Sports Illustrated
Each week as this page showed it at the time. Weeks marked rebuilt came before this page existed: they were built afterward from only what was known by the end of that week.
Watch the biggest plays from Washington State’s games, ranked by how much each moved the chance to win.
12 stories about him this week
Sat Oct 24: Boise State
38th of 100 FBS head coaches · from 6 outlets and r/CFB
Washington State’s Kirby Moore calls matchup with alma mater Boise State a ‘tremendous opportunity'
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 20 · 2 outlets
Roster talk is up: 7 stories in the last two weeks, from 3 the two weeks before.
What they’re talking about
Game preview4 stories
- Sports Illustrated +1Washington State’s Kirby Moore calls matchup with alma mater Boise State a ‘tremendous opportunity'Oct 20
- Idaho PressWashington State staff has strong Boise State connections, starting with Kirby MooreOct 20
- SWX Local SportsKirby Moore prepares for clash with the team that sprung his CFB career as WSU hosts Boise StateOct 21
- SWX Local SportsKirby Moore set to face former team as WSU hosts No. 21 Boise StateOct 21
Press conference and quotes2 storiesfading
- SWX Local SportsWSU Football Coaches Show with Kirby Moore: Episode 6Oct 19
- Washington State University AthleticsWSU Football: Kirby Moore and Student-Athletes | Boise State Week Press Conference | 10/19/26Oct 20
Quarterback and depth chart2 storiesrising
- Seattle SportsKirby Moore on Owen Eshelman’s Debut At QB + Washington St. vs Boise St. PreviewOct 20
- Seattle SportsKirby Moore: New WSU QB ‘very decisive’ in debutOct 20
139 stories about him this season
from 23 outlets and r/CFB
How Chris Petersen is influencing Kirby Moore's rebuild at Washington State
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 20 · 2 outlets
All 2 articles
What they’re talking about
Press conference and quotes46 storiesfading
- Sports Illustrated +1What WSU coach Kirby Moore said after loss to Washington in the Apple CupSep 6
All 2 articles
- 247Sports3 WSU headliners upped their games even more this summer, says Kirby MooreAug 5
- Washington State University AthleticsWSU Football: "Attitude of Gratitude" | Kirby Moore 2026 Media Day Press Conference | 8/5/26Aug 6
- SWX Local SportsWSU Football: Kirby Moore, Tony Freeman, Kaden Beatty recap Day 1 of fall camp | Full PresserAug 6
- 247SportsTony Freeman a fall camp standout for WSU through three days, say Kirby MooreAug 8
Game preview20 stories
The Seattle Times +1WSU ready to notch first win of Kirby Moore era in home-opener against FCS Duquesne - The Spokesman-ReviewSep 18All 2 articles
- Sports Illustrated +1Washington State’s Pac-12 opener comes with a personal twist for Kirby MooreSep 28
All 2 articles
- Sports Illustrated +1Kirby Moore faces tough questions about Washington State's offense after another frustrating lossOct 10
- Sports Illustrated +1Washington State’s Kirby Moore calls matchup with alma mater Boise State a ‘tremendous opportunity'Oct 20
- KXLY"There’s no substitute for practice" One-on-one with Washington State head coach Kirby Moore ahead of fall campAug 5
Quarterback and depth chart19 storiesrising
- Sports Illustrated +1Washington State coach Kirby Moore announces new starting quarterback ahead of Oregon State gameOct 12
- 247SportsWashington State’s QB1 will reveal himself: Inside Kirby Moore's vision on eve of fall campAug 5
- SWX Local SportsWashington State football: Kirby Moore previews fall camp, QB competition, injuries | Full Press ConferenceAug 5
The Spokesman-ReviewOn eve of fall camp, WSU coach Kirby Moore says team will announce starting QB before season-opener, plus other injury news - The Spokesman-ReviewAug 5- 247SportsKirby Moore lauds opening day efficiency, but WSU's QB battle just beginningAug 6
Loss8 stories
- Sports Illustrated +1Kirby Moore leaves door open to major WSU changes after ugly loss to Fresno StateOct 4
All 2 articles
- KREMWSU ready to open Kirby Moore era tomorrow with first day of fall campAug 5
- KREMWSU opens first fall camp under new head coach Kirby MooreAug 6
Yakima Herald-RepublicProsser's Kirby Moore feels at home in Pullman as fall camp begins - Yakima Herald-RepublicAug 6- SWX Local SportsWashington State Postgame: Kirby Moore, Cougar players following loss to ArizonaSep 27
Win8 stories
- Moscow-Pullman Daily News +1Cougars notch first victory of Kirby Moore eraSep 19
All 2 articles
The Lewiston TribuneCougars notch first victory of Kirby Moore eraMoscow-Pullman Daily NewsCougars notch first victory of Kirby Moore era - dnews.com - The Spokesman-ReviewWSU, first-year coach Kirby Moore ready to try and pull massive upset on No. 17 Washington in 118th Apple CupSep 5
- Yakima Herald-RepublicKirby Moore's Cougars fall short of upset in Prosser native's head coaching debutSep 6
- 247SportsOne loss, plenty of lessons: Kirby Moore finds positives in WSU's Apple Cup defeatSep 6
- 247SportsKirby Moore calm, cool and collected in first Crimson-infused victorySep 19
In-game decisions5 storiesfading
- 247Sports +1Kirby Moore assuming WSU offensive play calling dutiesOct 6
All 2 articles
- 247SportsTime for Kirby Moore to take over play-calling duties after two abysmal performancesSep 12
- KREMWSU Football Head Coach Kirby Moore taking over offensive play-calling at Washington StateOct 5
FootballScoopKirby Moore making a change, taking over play-calling at Washington StateOct 5- The Daily EvergreenKirby Moore takes over play calling from Matt MillerOct 6
Could another school hire him? What has he said?
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Oct 23.
In his own words
Every quote, back to September 2026
In his own words (12)
No, the best players are gonna play
We’re not looking in the rear-view mirror, we gotta keep building on where we’re at right now
We’re either coaching it or we’re allowing it to happen
The big thing is we got to continue to work on accuracy with the football, and when something’s there, we got to take advantage
First, we have to evaluate everything on offense
It’s a collective effort
The speed showed up. Jaylen Thomas, who’s done it on defense, right, doing it down on special teams, that guy’s special
[I] think he has the potential to come back with the new five for five rule for another season here at Washington State
We gotta work together to improve, it’s a team effort
Turnovers and situational football, we have to improve on offense
The defense did a nice job against the run. That has to carry over against Kansas State
Yeah, they [the missed kicks] were surprising
Hires into jobs like this
Hired into 25–25, Regional Program I. Rough match, not calibrated yet — ranked on what the job inherited alone. Coaches hired into this same job aren’t used as comps.
- Jimmy Rogers20256–6+0.5 ✕
- Jake Dickert20213–3+0.7
- Nick Rolovich20201–3-1.8
- Mike Leach20123–9-2.2
- Paul Wulff20082–11-8.9
- Bill Doba200310–3+3.1
- Mike Price19896–5+2.6
- Dennis Erickson19873–7-1.8
Hot seat
See every job →This season
Our hot-seat model, on his record so far, the win chances for every game he has left, and his contract (a bigger buyout, relative to pay, makes a change costlier). Ranked against the 137 FBS head coaches with 3+ games this season.
His first rated season here.
His hot seat, week by week
The chance he’s out by the end of that season, as it stood after every week of his tenure here, by today’s model.
What drives his number
The biggest factors, each against the typical FBS job today.
- ▼ CoolerYear 1 · tenure, which this model overrates
(why?)
Tenure is one of this model’s strongest inputs, but its weight was set when retirements like Nick Saban’s and Bob Stoops’ still counted as being pushed out, so it overstates how much tenure matters.
- ▲ Hotter1-6, outscored by 49
- ▼ CoolerNo previous seasons here to judge him on
What happened to coaches like him, 2004–2025
A different comparison: past coaches, not today’s, grouped by one fact at a time. Neither line knows the games he has left or his contract, so they can sit above or below his chance.
- Were 1-6 after 7 games
- 21% pushed out over results · of 215 coaches
- Were in year 1, after 7 games
- 1% pushed out over results · of 523 coaches
How good is this number? Checked on every FBS coach from 2010 to 2025, with its percentages calibrated each season on earlier years only: they track what happened — coaches it put near 25% were out about a quarter of the time — and a version pricing the games left with the previous season’s ratings ranked jobs as well as the ranking this page used before. Each week it learns from coaches who were still on the job at that point, so a firing during the season counts. In the Boiling zone it has run a few points high. Every job, and the method.
Coaching career
Followed Jimmy Rogers (2025).
Brings in smaller-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits younger transfers than most — more of a development bet.
Big games
The big-game ledger
How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.
0-1 against his rivals.
ATS is his record against the spread: did his team beat the closing betting line, winning by more than it or losing by less? Lines start in 2013; a dash means fewer than 6 of those games had one. One-score games carry no spread record: a big favorite that wins a close game has almost always failed to cover, so that number would say nothing about the coach.
Signature games
Tags describe each game; they aren’t scores. The weighting that picks these games is still being tested.
Style position and drift
Where each stint’s offense sat between run-first and pass-first, and how far it moved from one season to the next, against the FBS-wide average of 41% pass. The band is that stint’s real season-to-season range, not a fixed-width box.
How good is he so far?
Three numbers on how he actually stocks a roster, from signing day to draft day.
His recruiting, really
No class below is fully his yet — every one was inherited or signed mid-transition, so none counts toward a verdict.
Transition — he was hired mid-cycle
Rank is each signing class’s national recruiting rank (#1 is best). Only a class he had a full signing cycle to build counts as his; inherited and mid-transition classes still show here, faded, but stay out of the average.
Roster ownership
Roster ownership
of his 2026 roster arrived on his watch — 51 of 147 players. The other 96 are holdovers from before he was hired.
Of his own players on this roster, 37% came through the transfer portal; the rest are non-portal arrivals (high-school signees, JUCO transfers, walk-ons).
Everyone he has brought in, 2026–2026Counting players who have since left: 37% of the 51 arrivals we can classify came through the portal.
“His own” means the player arrived while he was head coach; “inherited” means a predecessor brought him in.
Where he recruits
is his biggest recruiting state: 7 of 16 signees (44%) across his 2026–2026 tenure, drawn from 6 states in all. Next: TX (3).
50% of his signees come from CA and its 3 border states (NV 1).
Off this map: 1 signee to the east (PA).
- median hometown distance
- 883 mi
- within 100 mi
- 4%
- within 500 mi
- 27%
- beyond 1,000 mi
- 38%
The map counts signed recruits across his tenure; the distance figures cover his current roster, transfers and walk-ons included. Two different groups, kept separate on purpose.
Kirby Moore
Offensive coordinator across 2 programs, 2 stints, before and after wearing the head-coach hat — every season measured on the same axis, whether he personally ran the unit or someone else did.