This article was written by Ron Counts of the Idaho Statesman.
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy addressed speculation about Boise State’s interest in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Sunday after a 37-17 win over the Eagles.
Boise State is in the market for a new football coach after Bryan Harsin left for Auburn. He was introduced as the Tigers’ new coach on Thursday.
“As far as Kellen’s potential opportunity, that’s really not for me to speak on,’’ McCarthy said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “I think that’s something that we’ll ultimately speak on. I can only tell you that we think the world of Kellen. He’s done an incredible job here.”
Moore was a quarterback at Boise State from 2008 to 2011, and he set an NCAA record for career wins while going 50-3 as a Bronco.
He threw for more than 3,400 yards in each of his four seasons, and he finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy as a junior. He’s the only player in program history who was a Heisman finalist.
Moore wasn’t selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, but he signed with the Lions before eventually moving to the Cowboys, where in 2015 he made the only two starts of his career. Both were losses, but against Washington, he threw for 435 yards and three touchdowns — becoming the fifth player in Cowboys history to throw for more than 400 yards in a game.
His playing career came to an end after the 2017 season, but he was immediately hired as the Cowboys quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019. Dallas owned the NFL’s top offense that year, averaging 431.5 yards a game.
“We definitely respect and understand the uniqueness of this opportunity to Boise, himself and his family,” McCarthy said. “I think at the right time, that’s really for Kellen and Boise State to speak on. I’ve probably said too much already, but we think the world of him.”
Moore and Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, who is a former Boise State player and assistant coach, are widely considered among the top candidates to replace Harsin. Avalos starred at linebacker for the Broncos during a career that stretched from 2000 to 2004. Avalos finished his paying career No. 4 all-time at Boise State with 365 tackles, and he was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018.
