Matt Campbell is expected to hire his second wide receivers coach this week, months before ever coaching his first Penn State football game.
To help the most troublesome position group on the team, Campbell is seeking leadership and answers from Colorado State assistant Kashif Moore, according to national reports, including CBS Sports and 247Sports.
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Moore, 37, was a standout receiver and assistant coach at Connecticut before leaving this winter for CSU.
He replaces Noah Pauley, who just left Penn State’s new staff to become the receivers coach with the Green Bay Packers. Pauley had followed Campbell from Iowa State in December.
Here are three things to know about the Nittany Lions’ newest assistant coach:
October 26, 2011; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: Connecticut Huskies receiver Kashif Moore (6) breaks off the line of scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Panthers won 35-20. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE
Penn State football: How Kashif Moore was a star receiver before coaching
The Burlington, New Jersey native became a team captain at UConn, where he caught more than 120 passes and 13 touchdowns in his career. He played in three bowl games with the Huskies, which included their penultimate 2011 Fiesta Bowl.
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Moore did spend time in the NFL, signing free agent contracts with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs.
Aug 10, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Kashif Moore (19) returns a kick-off against the New York Giants during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Where Kashif Moore coached before Penn State football
Moore coached in high school before breaking into college football with Division III Wesleyan University in 2020.
He coached receivers at Wesleyan, running backs at Cornell and receivers at FCS Albany under former Penn State standout Greg Gattuso.
Moore returned to Connecticut in 2023 and immediately oversaw receiving stars TJ Sheffield and Skylar Bell, who both had more than 50 receptions the following year.
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Bell went on to break school records in 2025 with 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. He earned All-America status and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver.
Kashif Moore must help turnaround the Penn State’s weakest spot
Moore must immediately help elevate a Penn State receiver room in the midst of its most inconsistent and unproductive stretch in recent memory.
It hasn’t featured a bona fide star since Jahan Dotson in 2021 — the last PSU wideout with more than 53 catches in a season. The group was shut out in the excruciating College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame and failed to markedly improve last season despite featuring three heralded transfers.
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“That receiver room at Iowa State, that’s been our staple,” Campbell said on Feb. 4. “And I know we’re coming to a place where we’ve kind of got to reshape that a little bit and bring that back to life.”
Moore’s 2026 group will feature four transfers from Iowa State, another from Grambling and handful of Penn State holdovers, though no significant contributors.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Get to know new Penn State football receivers coach Kashif Moore
