Colorado School of Mines Athletics

2022 AFCA National Coach of the Year
 

The 2022 AFCA National, AFCA Regional, NFFCC Colorado, and RMAC Coach of the Year, Brandon Moore was named the head coach of Mines Football on Jan. 31, 2022 after spending six years on staff building the Oredigger defense into one of the nation’s top units.

Moore's first year as head coach was historic as the Orediggers made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship Game. Mines won 13 consecutive games between September and December to get there, winning the program's second consecutive NCAA Super Region IV title and fourth consecutive RMAC championship along the way. Going 13-3, the Orediggers set a program record for wins and they completed just the third undefeated RMAC season (9-0) in the modern era. Individually Mines was well-awarded, including Harlon Hill Award winner and consensus national offensive player of the year John Matocha and all-Americans in Matt Armendariz, Mason Pierce, and Max McLeod. 

Since arriving at Mines as linebackers coach in 2016, Moore led the effort to make the Orediggers’ defense one of the nation’s elite. Moore was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2018, then took over as defensive coordinator following the 2019 season. That 2019 defense was the nation’s best on third downs (24.3%) and ranked 13th in total defense (285 ypg), 11th in scoring defense (16.8 ppg), and sixth in rushing defense (79.8 ypg). In 2021, the Mines defense ranked among the nation’s best in scoring defense (11th, 14.7 ppg), turnovers gained (4th, 33), sacks (3.7 per game, 5th), and interceptions (17, 6th) as the unit produced two shutouts and allowed single-digit points in five games, including a program postseason-record 55-6 win over Bemidji State in the NCAA Second Round in which the defense did not allow a score.  

Moore has been a part of five RMAC championship teams at Mines (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022) and coached 64 all-RMAC players either positionally or as head coach, including 2017 NFFCC Defensive Player of the Year Dean Wenger, 2019 all-American Jimmy Bauer, 2021 RMAC Academic Defensive Player of the Year Nolan Reeve, and 2022 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year John Matocha. The Orediggers are 61-14 overall since his arrival with the program in 2016 and were 34-5 with Moore as defensive coordinator - a record that included five shutouts, including two each in 2019 and 2021. 

In 2021, the Oredigger defense led the way in a historic season that included the RMAC title and an NCAA semifinal appearance. The Mines defense ranked among the nation’s best in scoring defense (11th, 14.7 ppg), turnovers gained (4th, 33), sacks (3.7 per game, 5th), and interceptions (6th) as the unit produced two shutouts and allowed single-digit points in five games, including a program postseason-best 55-6 blowout of Bemidji State in the NCAA Second Round. 

The 2019 season was historic for the Mines defense as the Orediggers ranked in the national top-25 in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, and defensive touchdowns, as well as producing NCAA D-II’s #1 third-down defense. Moore had five all-RMAC selections in 2019 including first-teamer Jimmy Bauer and 2020 returners Mack Minnehan and Nolan Reeve. 

In 2017, Wenger earned NFFCC Colorado Defensive Player of the Year honors as he and RJ Phillips and Averie Mansfield were named all-RMAC. Mines had the #2 total defense in the RMAC and ranked third in rushing defense. The 2018 season was another banner year for Mines linebackers led by all-RMAC selections Logan Bock, Grant Gale, Averie Mansfield, and Jimmy Bauer, marking the second time in three years that all of Moore’s starters were recognized by the league.

Moore’s first season with the Orediggers in 2016 was a good one as all four of his starting linebackers - Drake Thenell, Grant Gale, Chris Brockman, and Dean Wenger - were honored as all-RMAC selections. The Orediggers’ 32 sacks were nine more than any other team in the league, and Mines ranked fourth in the league in rushing defense. Mines also owned the second-best red-zone defense in the RMAC, with two interceptions and a league-high seven turnovers on downs inside the 20.

A native of Baldwin, N.Y., Moore had an accomplished playing career as a linebacker, first as a four-year letterwinner and 2001 national championship winner with Oklahoma, playing under Bob Stoops and then-defensive coordinator and now-head coach Brent Venables. Moore went on to a long professional career that included six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2002 to 2007, a season with the San Diego Chargers in 2010, and three seasons with the UFL’s Las Vegas Locomotives in 2009-10 and 2011. After his playing retirement, he launched his coaching career as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona, and he served two NFL Minority Internships with the Chargers in 2018 and the Tennessee Titans in 2019. 

Moore and his wife, Sheree, have four children: Stephon, Tre, Arriana, and Kash. His older brother, Rob Moore, is also an NFL veteran and is the current wide receivers coach with the Titans. Moore holds a degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma.
 

MOORE BY THE NUMBERS