Will Kellen Moore Be the OC? He Got Passed Over By the UW as QB
One hundred and ninety miles southeast of Seattle, Kellen Moore from Prosser High School broke five state high school passing records, including touchdowns in a season (67) and in a career (173), but he wasn't a can't-miss recruit.
In 2006, the knocks on Moore were product of the system, too short and level of competition.
Word has it that then-Boise State coach Chris Petersen -- remember him? -- even had to be talked into giving Moore a scholarship by an assistant coach.
The Huskies employed Ty Willingham as head coach back then, someone who made more than a few bad decisions, though he did sign quarterback Jake Locker the year before.
Since the firing of Bush Hamdan, who Moore unseated as a Boise State starting quarterback, Moore, 31, has been linked to the UW offensive coordinator job.
The words tossed around now are golden boy, super savvy and offensive genius.
The Huskies didn't want him before, but, if all the reports are to be believed, are making a strong push for him now.
Even today, the chatter gained considerable momentum when NFL insider Ian Rapport tweeted that Moore appears to have both the Cowboys and Huskies bidding for his services.
Moore, since retiring as an NFL quarterback, spent 2018 as the Cowboys quarterbacks coach and this past season as their offensive coordinator. He headed up an offense that finished first in the league in total yards (431.5 per game), was second in passing yards (296.9) ands sixth in points (27.1).
Officially, Jason Garrett's Dallas staff was let go on Monday. Moore, it seems, is in limbo. Fired, but not fired. He has said nothing publicly about his coaching future.
However, Mike Garafolo, another NFL insider, tweeted late Tuesday that Moore is leaning toward staying in pro football.
In a short amount of time, the Prosser product has built a sterling reputation with his play-calling abilities. NFL offensive coordinators who make good things happen are like pro quarterbacks -- they are coveted and well paid.
Moore, the son of former Prosser coach Tom Moore, has been studying football tapes nonstop since he was a high school kid, pestering his parents for money to buy them.
"I think it's a huge advantage watching other guys play, whether it's high school, college or the NFL," Moore told the Seattle Times in 2006, when he was just 18. "You can learn from that."
This practice made him a highly adept college quarterback for Boise State, where he completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 14,667 yards and 142 touchdowns.
This ability to study others and run an offense has put him on every UW follower's wish list. Lynn Madsen, former Huskies defensive lineman who now lives in Texas, weighs in on the candidate in the video.
Reports coming out of Dallas indicate owner Jerry Jones might be partial to keeping Moore on the new coaching staff headed up by Mike McCarthy. Whether that figures into his retention as the Cowboys OC remains to be seen.
The question Moore has to be asking himself is do I want to chase this career at the highest level, making huge money? Or do I want to return to my home state and be considered somewhat of an offensive savior who ignites Jimmy Lake's first offense and molds a new quarterback to replace Jacob Eason?
Way back when, Washington passed Moore over and used Locker, Ronnie Fouch, Carl Bonnell, Keith Price and Nick Montana as starters at that position while Moore was Boise State's high-powered quarterback.
No one else is getting so much outside consideration for the Huskies' OC job. Considering the wide range of attention given to fast-rising Moore, the UW better have a backup plan ready just in case.
