Mizzou offensive coordinator accepts head coaching job at Washington State
COLUMIBA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou football team is officially on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator.
After three seasons calling plays for the Tigers, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirby Moore is on the move, as Washington State announced that he will be the program's next head coach.
Moore's move comes ahead of Mizzou's upcoming matchup against No. 19 Virginia in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, on Dec. 27. A press conference will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 16 to introduce Moore as the 36th head coach of the Cougars.
In his three seasons in Columbia, Moore mentored some of the most memorable players to wear a Mizzou jersey in recent history. Quarterback Brady Cook led the Tigers to a 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl win under Moore's direction, a game in which the St. Louis native won the Offensive MVP award. MU's former offensive coordinator guided Cook through two seasons, where he completed about 64 percent of his passes for a total of 5,852 yards and 32 touchdowns. The quarterback also added on 200 rushing attempts for 542 yards and 13 scores.
Cook went 21-5 during his time with Moore and 26-13 all-time as Mizzou's starter, which ranks second-most in wins by a Tiger quarterback.
In addition to Cook, Moore also helped develop both running back Cody Schrader and wide receiver Luther Burden, who both earned Associated Press All-America honors in Mizzou's memorable 2023 campaign.
Schrader, a Burlsworth Trophy winner, compiled 1,627 rushing yards on 276 carries for 14 touchdowns in his final season in Columbia. Meanwhile, Burden ended his MU career as a two-time First Team All-SEC honoree in both 2023 and 2024, after racking up 192 receptions for 2,263 yards with 21 touchdowns.
The Tigers' 2023 offense was, by far, Moore's most memorable in his time calling plays in Columbia. It was the only unit in the country to churn out a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver in one season. It also marked the first time any Tiger team had accomplished that feat and just the second-ever Southeastern Conference team.
Despite that success, Mizzou's offense saw its ups and downs in 2025. Some of those peaks and valleys came due to injuries to two of the team's quarterbacks: both starter Beau Pribula and Sam Horn.
Moore's group ended the regular-season as the sixth-ranked offense in the Southeastern Conference in yards per game, with 429.3, mainly thanks to the success the team found on the ground. Mizzou was the top-rated rushing offense in the conference and ninth-best in the entire nation, with 2,809 rushing yards through the regular-season. The group was also one of the best in the league in third-down offense, ranking fourth in the SEC.
The real problems came in through the air, as the Tigers' 2,343 passing yards ranked dead-last in the SEC in 2025.
Moore will now be heading back to his home state of Washington, where he grew up about 160 miles south of Washington State's campus, to make the fifth stop of his coaching career and take on his first-ever head coaching role. Over the course of his more than 10 years in the coaching world, Moore has made stops at Idaho, Washington, Fresno State and - of course - Mizzou.
The Tigers will still continue preparation for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 27 on KMIZ.
Be sure to check back for updates.
