Kellen Moore rejects alma mater Boise State to sign extension with Cowboys

Kellen Moore is expected to sign a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys to remain as their offensive coordinator.

When the Auburn Tigers head coaching vacancy was filled by Boise State’s Bryan Harsin, the Mountain West school was in need of a replacement. One name that was persistent in their search was former quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who interviewed for the position. However, a reunion will not be happening.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Moore has bypassed the opportunity to become Boise State’s next head coach and is expected to sign a contract extension with the Cowboys.

Moore not returning to Boise State

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic elaborated on Mortensen’s report, saying Boise State’s passing leader wasn’t going to consider accepting a collegiate head coaching gig but was intrigued at the prospect of coaching at his alma mater. Ultimately, he opted to stay put in Dallas. As for who’s the current favorite to receive the Boise State job, the leading candidate is Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos who is another Boise alum.

After his NFL playing days ended, Moore remained in Dallas as a quarterbacks coach before replacing Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator in 2019. In his first season, Moore was responsible for Dallas being the most productive offense in the league (431.5 total yards/game) and lauded for his work with quarterback Dak Prescott.

Even after head coach Jason Garrett was replaced by Mike McCarthy, Moore remained with the team. This season, the Cowboys have 12th best offense in the NFL (376.1 yards/game), and that’s with using Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert at quarterback after Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5.

While Moore did make a tough decision in turning down the opportunity to coach at Boise State, he should be in line for some NFL head coaching opportunities down the road.