Linebacker Coach's Thoughts On Fall Camp and Upcoming Season
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After a prestigious playing career for the Wolfpack, Isaiah Moore found his way back to NC State in a new role. The former linebacker now coaches the linebackers in an assistant coaching role under head coach Dave Doeren and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot.
Tasked with leading a talented group including Sean Brown and Caden Fordham, Moore took time to speak to the media about his new role and what it means to be back with the Wolfpack.
Below is a partial transcript of Moore's media availability
Moore Transcript
Q: What's it like being in this position now?
Moore: It's awesome. It's been a great transition, being back at home, back around the guys. A couple of guys I played with, actually, I get to coach now. It’s been fun. It’s been a blessing and I can’t thank coach Doeren enough for allowing me to be back here and the guys accepting me in this role. And it's been, it's been great. Now, my whole goal is to get these guys ready to play.
Q: How much did you learn from the (Military Bowl) prep last year?
Moore: I learned a lot. Being able to have the room on an interim tag during the bowl game was a big learning experience for me. I kind of learned on the fly a little bit how to manage the room. Different personalities, Different skill sets, how to put players in a position to be successful. And I think I learned a lot from that, and I'm gonna use those blessings to help us out
Q: What about Caden Fordham makes him qualified to take on the No. 1 jersey?
Moore: He's been through a lot, you know, since we've been here, and he's learned a lot. And I think the biggest way I can put it is that he took this team in this offseason, even while going through the recovery process, and he's found opportunity, and he did it in his own way. He didn't try to be me, he didn’t try to be Payton (Wilson), he didn’t try to be Drake (Thomas). He's the one who came forward, and I told him that that would be enough. I'm extremely happy for him. It couldn't happen to a better person. And I'm honored to have him in the club.
Q: Did you always know that you wanted to be a coach? If so, has anything surprised you?
Moore: I always felt like I wanted to be a coach one day. I love this game, you know, I love football. I love being around those guys. You know, I have my opportunity to play, and now I want to give these guys an opportunity to do the same and go further than I did. That's my whole goal of being a coach. You don't coach for yourself. You coach for other people, you know, you coach to give back to the game and to pour into these kids and develop the best we can both as players and as men.
Q: Coaching at your alma mater, how much does that mean to you as well?
Moore: It's like a fairy tale story. You get a chance to play linebacker at NC State. And then you go off, you know, play in the league for a little bit, and you come back and coach for linebackers for NC State under coaches you played for around a lot of guys that you played with. It’s insane. I’m just extremely blessed and thankful to be back.
Q: Is it ever weird coaching some of the guys you played with?
Moore: I wouldn’t say it’s weird, but I actually think it helps. They understand who I am. I understand who they are. I’m able to communicate with them on a level that they definitely understand. A lot of these guys were freshmen in my senior year when I was being a leader so they kind of saw me in that space already. That just goes back to our playing days. Sean and Caden still call me cap sometimes. It’s funny and now I call them cap. It’s awesome. It’s good to be back here.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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