Conversation with WSU Board of Regents Vice Chair, Kirby Moore Hire, and Utah State Preview

Why Kirby Moore Feels Like the Right Fit

There was a real buzz when Kirby Moore stepped into the role at Washington State. It was loud, emotional, and for good reason. Kirby checks a lot of boxes that matter in Pullman: local ties, a modern offensive mindset, and the kind of energy that reconnects a program with its region.

He said it plainly: "throwing to score, running to win." That line matters because it signals balance. Too many recent seasons felt one-dimensional. Kirby’s pitch—an attacking, exciting offense that still finishes games on the ground—gives fans a concrete reason to be optimistic.

Beyond scheme, there’s the intangible: culture and continuity. Kirby grew up in Eastern Washington. His family roots in high school football and his familiarity with the region give him a better chance to stay long term than some hires who treated this job as a stepping stone.

Questions that Matter Next

• Staffing: Who follows him? Candidates like tight ends coach Durham Kato are names to watch—roles such as passing game coordinator or offensive coordinator are still up in the air.
• Quarterback: Can Kirby retain or recruit the signal-caller who fits his style? Bringing a coach's preferred quarterback from a previous stop is never guaranteed, but the potential upside is massive.
• Resources: Assistant coach salary pools matter. WSU’s assistant pool sits at $4.5 million. Competitive packages will be key to landing and keeping coaches.

How NIL and the Cougar Collective Fit In

The modern college landscape is built on persuasion as much as it is on Xs and Os. WSU can’t outspend every opponent, but it can sell a package: playing time, exposure, and a system designed to create NFL tape. That pitch is meaningful in the transfer portal era.

Two funding pathways stand out right now:

1. Athletic Department Support — donors who give directly to the program enable facilities upgrades and operational stability.
2. NIL Pools like the Cougar Collective — targeted dollars that help retain players and reward long-term contributors instead of chasing one-year portal additions.

It’s worth repeating: retention can be as valuable as acquisition. Using NIL to keep players invested in the program aligns with the long-term health of the roster and avoids “one-and-done” mismatches.

Board of Regents: What They Do and Why It Matters

The Board of Regents provides high-level governance for the university. Regents set policy, approve the total budget, and hire the university president. They do not micromanage day-to-day personnel decisions like directly hiring coaches. Instead, they create the framework and approve fiscal plans that make coaching hires possible.

For athletics, that means regents sign off on the broad budget and trust university leadership and athletic finance experts to allocate within that framework. Big investment decisions—new scoreboards, stadium sound, turf—often come from a mix of donor commitments and athletic budgets rather than pure institutional cash.

President's Role and the Betsy Hire

The president sets the tone. The current president arrived with a clear mandate to be bold and visible, especially around athletics. Good leadership at the top makes fundraising and alumni engagement easier. When the campus has momentum, everything from enrollment to donor energy benefits. A visible president who understands how athletics drives community and enrollment matters more than ever.

Budget Realities: War Chests, Lawsuits, and Donor Dollars

The Pac-12 legal aftermath left a lump sum that people interpreted as a "war chest." The reality is more complex: settlement money flowed through multiple channels, some paid legal fees or obligations to other schools, and other pieces are tied up in production assets or long-term monetization plans for conference media products.

Bottom line: the university is working within financial limits. That makes alumni and donor engagement essential. If every alumni gave even a modest amount, it would significantly shift available resources.

Where Fans Should Focus Their Giving

• Athletic Department: The core of program funding and facility upgrades.
• NIL Funds / The Cougar Collective: Important for retaining players and competing in the portal era.
• Targeted Donations: Scoreboard, sound, and game day experience donations often come from earmarked donor gifts.

The most practical approach: do a little research, pick a bucket that aligns with your priorities, and give. Even small grassroots contributions aggregated across alumni make a difference.

Facility Upgrades and Fan Experience

Experience matters. Investments like new sound systems, LED lighting, turf, and locker room renovations are about generating home field advantage and attracting recruits. Sound and video production turn a stadium visit into an event—borrowed from the pro model and the successful college programs that know how to energize crowds.

Donors often specify where their money goes; regents approve total budgets and ensure the university meets policy. For big, visible upgrades, the simplest path is donor-driven funding that the athletic department then executes.

Utah State Preview: Bronco's First Year and Bryson Barnes

Utah State under Bronco Mendenhall has been a study in rapid cultural reset. Bronco’s arrival and a focused staff bought stability, accountability, and a style of play that fits the roster’s identity.

Quarterback Bryson Barnes is the story here. From a small-town walk-on to leading the team in both passing and rushing, Barnes embodies the Bronco model: versatile, tough, and willing to do whatever the coach asks. His trajectory—walking on at Utah, transferring to Utah State, and eventually becoming a dynamic starter—makes him the centerpiece of a Utah State offense that leans on creativity and trick formations.

Matchup Takeaways for the Idaho Potato Bowl

• Expect misdirection and gadget plays from Utah State, especially without Braden Pagan in the lineup.
• The offensive line remains a concern: penalties and inconsistent protection have been recurring issues.
• Defensively, Utah State has improved—safety play and linebacker play are strengths, though the unit still gives up volume of yards.

If Washington State wants to win, limiting tempo-draining penalties and containing Barnes’ dual-threat output will be critical.

The Bigger Picture: Pac-12, Competition, and the Future of Olympic Sports

The new Pac-12 era is competitive. Many incoming programs are motivated and backed by donors eager to elevate their brands. That makes alumni support and smart institutional planning non-negotiable if WSU wants to stay ahead.

Olympic sports remain vulnerable. Most of these programs depend on football revenue, so the stronger the football program, the better chance non-revenue sports have to thrive. Veterans of the program know this. Winning and engagement are interconnected: a winning football team lifts enrollment and donations, which funds the broader athletic portfolio.

Open Questions to Watch

1. Can the university innovate around private capital or public partnerships without jeopardizing core mission? Private equity and capital deals are complex and come with trade-offs.
2. Will state support increase? Legislative funding is political and unpredictable, but targeted state investments, like the one Oregon secured, are precedent-setting.
3. Can WSU turn increased visibility into sustained grassroots giving? The power of 250,000 alumni contributing small amounts is real.

Final Thought

There is energy and potential at WSU right now. A young coach with local roots, institutional leadership that understands the stakes, and a community that can be rallied—those are ingredients for growth. The practical side requires donations, strategic budgeting, and smart use of NIL and facilities dollars.

“If you love the school, step up and give back.”

That’s the bottom line. Winning starts on the field, but it is fueled off the field by the people who believe in the program and the institution. Support the Collective, engage with alumni networks, and push for a game-day experience that matches the ambition of the new era.