Mizzou football’s offensive coordinator leaving to be Washington State head coach

Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is leaving the Missouri Tigers football team after three seasons.

He will be taking over as Washington State’s next head coach, giving him his first opportunity to run a program.

National reports throughout the week indicated Moore had emerged as one of the Cougars’ top choices, and by Friday evening they announced Moore as their next head coach.

Moore, 35, grew up in Prosser, Washington, roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive from Pullman. He starred at Prosser High School playing for his father, Tom, before playing receiver at Boise State, then climbing the coaching ladder at Fresno State and on to Missouri.

News of Moore’s departure creates the biggest opening that the Mizzou football coaching staff has seen in several years.

Moore’s MU years: fast start, uneven middle, rocky finish

Moore arrived in Columbia ahead of the 2023 season as head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s first outside hire at offensive coordinator, taking full control of the Tigers’ play-calling.

His first year delivered one of Missouri’s best seasons of offense in recent memory. The Tigers averaged 434 yards per game, running back Cody Schrader set the single-season rushing record and quarterback Brady Cook put together his most consistent year as a starter.

But that production dipped in 2024. Even with Cook and star receiver Luther Burden III back, Missouri struggled to create the same downfield threats and the production dropped to 389 yards per game. Drinkwitz spent much of that season publicly calling for more imagination in the offense, a sign that a deeper review was coming.

This fall brought a new quarterback in Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, a different receiving corps and major shuffling along the offensive line. Early results were encouraging — Missouri broke 40 points in four of its first five games — but the offense stalled once SEC play arrived. Over the final seven games, Missouri scored fewer than 25 points five times, the passing game disappeared at times and the Tigers had multiple games with fewer than 10 completions.

There were obvious factors working against Moore. Injuries across the offense, growing pains at receiver and inconsistency on the line all contributed to a downturn in production. But as Missouri looked ahead to 2026, it was clear that a reset on that side of the ball might be coming.

Moore choosing to leave cements that.

Mizzou’s next steps as Kirby Moore departs

Because Moore is leaving for a head-coaching job, he does not owe Missouri a buyout.

The Tigers now face several immediate decisions: the transfer portal opens Jan. 2 and the Gator Bowl (Dec. 27) is fast approaching.

It is not yet known who will call plays in the bowl against Virginia. Drinkwitz has experience in the role, and wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler has called plays at previous stops.

Missouri should have no shortage of options in its search to replace Moore. Drinkwitz’s recent contract extension includes a $16 million assistant-coaching pool, giving the program room to pursue a coordinator from nearly any level.

Past hires — Moore from Fresno State and defensive coordinator Corey Batoon from South Alabama — show Drinkwitz is willing to look to the Group of Six, but the expanded salary pool widens the field.

What Moore walks into on the Palouse

Moore’s hire allows Washington State to return to its West Coast roots. The Cougars are 6-6 with multiple close losses and are preparing to play in a rebuilt Pac-12 that will include several Mountain West programs next season.

The Cougars were seeking stability after head coach Jimmy Rogers left for Iowa State. Moore’s background developing quarterbacks, designing run-heavy systems and navigating roster turnover matches what Washington State will face during its transition.

The bottom line for the Mizzou Tigers

Moore played a major role in shaping Missouri’s offense during a stretch that included an 11-win season, a Cotton Bowl victory and the rise of multiple star players.

His exit creates the most important opening of the offseason for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how Drinkwitz opts to fill it.

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