WSU’s Kirby Moore ready to build a football legacy. ‘Seize the opportunity.’

Kirby Moore has been on the run ever since being named the new head football coach at Washington State University on Dec. 12.

From convincing players to not leave Pullman through the transfer portal, to convincing other players from other schools in the transfer portal to join up at WSU, that alone would keep the Prosser High School graduate busy.

But then there is putting a coaching staff together. Watching film of last year’s Cougars game. Getting his family moved from Missouri to Pullman.

And in the last few weeks, Moore has gone out on the road to meet the Cougar faithful — twice in one week in the Seattle area.

And this past week, Moore greeted Wazzu fans at the Edge Steakouse and Sports Lounge in Kennewick for a Cougar Athletic Fund social, as a way the two parties can get to know each other.

The smiles of Cougar fans and boosters were more than evident, as they felt they got a gem in Moore.

He was able to catch his breath on Wednesday, but just for a bit.

Moore knew it would be an intense time once he accepted the position.

“It’s been a whirlwind, just going through the interview process,” said Moore. “Just getting off the flight from Missouri, then it’s just been go-go-go.”

Touching down in Pullman on a Monday, the first thing he did was meet with the team.

“Then, it’s about retention,” he said. “On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we were meeting each day from 2 to 7 p.m. with the guys (planning to transfer).”

And he wouldn’t just sit around at his desk.

“I was going to Boise for the bowl game,” he said. “This is a semester school, and when that bowl game is over, some of those kids go home for three months.”

So Moore talked to not only players, but their parents too.

While he wasn’t officially the Cougs’ coach just yet, Moore wanted a first-hand observation.

Interim coach Jesse Bobbit led WSU to a 34-21 win over Utah State in the Famous Potato Bowl on Dec. 22.

In all, Moore and his staff — one that he put together pretty quickly, regarding the situation — put together 45 visits with potential Cougs. It wasn’t always perfect.

“It felt like speed dating,” he said. “But I think we did a good job of retaining players.”

Indeed.

In the last few years, in this new college football landscape, WSU fans had gotten accustomed to not only watching coaches leave Pullman, but also outstanding players.

In the last few months, though, each time a player announced that they were re-signing with WSU (including offensive tackle Ashton Tripp from Kennewick), it gave Coug fans and booster a glimmer of hope and optimism.

“It’s all about relationships, what they’ve been through and where we’re coming from,” said Moore, who as offensive coordinator the past three seasons at Missouri in the highly touted Southeastern Conference, hadn’t had to do as much recruiting.

That’s because, with bigger staffs, that recruiting load is spread out nowadays.

In fact, Moore said he had to go back to his Fresno State days — where he was OC there before going to Missouri.

“I hadn’t been out West the last three years,” he said. “But that did help us with portal.”

Moore will stick with his high-octane offense that he used at Missouri.

“That’s gonna be a work in progress. Fresno to Missouri, those (plays) looked different,” he said. “You have to know what your quarterback can do, what’s it look like up front. Players want to know what you’ll do on offense, defense, special teams.”

So that decision will come as he sees more repetitions on the field.

Whatever you do, he says, you don’t want to put his offense into a box and limit his players.

Like his father before him — Tom is a legendary high school coach from Prosser — and his older brother Kellen, just completing his first year as head coach for the New Orleans Saints, Kirby likes to watch a lot of film.

“I’ve already watched a good amount,” he said. “Ironically, WSU played Virginia, Missouri’s bowl opponent this year. So I got to look at that.”

Whatever the case, Kirby Moore just felt it was the right time to make the move to becoming a head coach in major college football.

“Being in college football the last 10 years, obviously staff sizes have never been bigger,” he said. “I think you grow in terms of getting coaches and players pointed in the same direction.”

And with factors such as the Name, Image and Likeness situation — where players can make money — it’s never been harder for coaches and players to head in the right direction together.

Just this week, Bobby Hauck resigned his head coaching position at Montana because coaching — with all of its added constraints and dealing with players’ agents — just wasn’t fun anymore.

For many, it’s become a young man’s game.

That’s perfect for Kirby Moore, who is 35.

“The timing with Washington State was good,” said Moore. “Look at the new conference (the new Pac-12 Conference begins play this fall), and I think there’s a specific direction moving forward. We have to make sure we seize the opportunity.”

Moore understands that he’ll need to pick things up again soon.

“Time,” he said, “is of the essence.”