SAN DIEGO – Brandon Moore, the reigning AFCA DII National Coach of the Year, has been named head coach of the University of San Diego football team, Associate Vice President/Executive Director of Athletics Bill McGillis announced Wednesday.
 
Moore made history in his first season as head coach of Colorado School of Mines, leading the Orediggers to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship Game. He's no stranger to national success, winning the National Championship in 2001 as a linebacker at Oklahoma. Moore then spent seven years in the NFL, including six with the San Francisco 49ers, appearing in 90 games and making 249 career tackles.
 
"Brandon Moore is a big-time winner, and I could not be more thrilled for the young men in our football program, our former players and the entire university community that he has accepted the opportunity to serve as our head coach," said McGillis. "Coach Moore is a dynamic and inspirational leader whose presence will have an enormous impact on our program. He brings outstanding pedigree as a player, having won a national championship while at Oklahoma and having played six-plus years in the NFL. As a coach, Brandon has demonstrated an outstanding record of success as a position coach, defensive coordinator and head coach, and he has done so in a highly-competitive academic environment with exceptional students. His focus on the education of the scholar-athletes he coaches, their well-being and their futures beyond football makes him a great match for the University of San Diego. I am very confident Coach Moore will build on the amazing legacy of Dale Lindsey and the strong foundation of championship success established by all of our former players and coaches."
 
After being elevated to head coach before the 2022 season, Moore wasted no time making his mark, earning AFCA National, AFCA Regional, NFFCC Colorado, and RMAC Coach of the Year honors. He spent six years on the Oredigger staff before the promotion, building the defense into one of the nation's top units. With Moore in charge last season, Mines led the nation in sacks per game, turnovers forced, fumbles recovered, scoring offense, red zone offense, first downs, and team passing efficiency.
 
"Our family is extremely excited about this new chapter in our lives," said Moore. "We are looking forward to this new challenge and opportunity to be a part of the winning tradition at the University of San Diego. The university's commitment to academic success, the stunning campus, and the decades-long athletic department success presents an ideal place to call home. I'm grateful to the long list of USD players, coaches, and staff that have built the football program into national prominence and look forward to continuing the climb. We can't wait to get started."  
 
The Orediggers won 13 consecutive games last season to get to the national championship en route to their fourth consecutive RMAC title. The team set a program record for wins (13) and produced the third undefeated conference season (9-0) in the modern era.
 
Moore began his coaching career as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona in 2012. After Colorado School of Mines hired him as linebackers coach in 2016, Moore directed the effort to make the Orediggers' defense one of the nation's elite. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2018, then took over as the sole defensive coordinator a year later after leading the country in third down defense. Moore's defenses consistently ranked among the best in the NCAA, including a 2021 win over Bemidji State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs in which the unit did not allow a score. 
 
He helped guide Mines to five RMAC championships (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022) and coached 64 All-RMAC players during his tenure. Moore's players earned various prominent accolades include 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 totaled a 61-14 overall record since he joined the staff in 2016.
 
The Baldwin, NY native was a four-year letterwinner and 2001 national championship winner with Oklahoma at linebacker, playing under Bob Stoops and then-defensive coordinator and now-head coach Brent Venables. Moore went on to an extensive pro career that included six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2002 to 2007, and played with the San Diego Chargers in 2010 after a stint in the United Football League. In addition to his time in collegiate coaching, 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.