Twitter: @Coach_SBMoore
Shannon Moore will enter his seventh season coaching the Wyoming tight ends and fullbacks and coordinating special teams for the Pokes in 2025. He joined the Wyoming coaching staff in January 2019. Moore came to Wyoming after spending the previous three years at East Carolina University. He will be coaching in his 22nd season in ‘24.
In 2024, Wyoming ranked No. 16 in the nation in Red Zone Offense at nearly 91 percent for the season. His offense group featured three All-MW selections. Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg earned Second Team accolades at tight end. He was the highest graded tight end in the MW according to Pro Football Focus.
In a win over New Mexico, the Cowboys recorded 604 yards of total offense for the most since recording 604 yards on Nov. 20, 2021 at Utah State. Protected for Poke in a contest passing for 342 yards for the most since passing for 366 yards in 2015.
In 2023, the Pokes would win nine games, as it was Wyoming's first nine-win season since 1996 when UW posted a 10-2 season. The tight end room found great success for the Brown and Gold. Treyton Welch wa named Jonorable Mention All-MW. he recorded 31 receptions for 208 yards with two touchdowns. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns. John Michael Gyllenborg added 23 catches for 360 yards along with three scores. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch for the season.
Moore coached Wyoming tight end Treyton Welch in 2022. Welch was selected as the First Team All-Mountain West tight end by Pro Football Focus (PFF) in ‘22. He also earned Third Team All-MW honors from Phil Steele and was an Honorable Mention All-Mountain selection by MW head coaches and media. Welch was the only Mountain West tight end to rank in the Top 10 in the MW in TD receptions last season, tying for No. 4 with five total touchdown catches. Welch received an “A” grade from PFF for the 2022 season. Welch and fullback/tight end Parker Christensen ranked third and fourth for Wyoming in receptions in ‘22. Welch caught 22 passes for 308 yards, and Christensen had 19 catches for 169. All total, Moore’s tight-end and fullback group accounted for a total of 53 receptions for 604 yards and six TD receptions in ‘22.
Wyoming’s 2022 offense ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 14 in the nation in red-zone offense (90.6 percent) and No. 3 in the MW and No. 44 nationally in rushing offense (181.4 yards per game). The offense ranked No. 3 in the league and No. 25 nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.46 per game) and ranked No. 3 in the conference and No. 30 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (1.46 per game). The Cowboys also generated a 1,000-yard rusher in ‘22 in Titus Swen (1,039 yards). Moore’s special teams blocked two kicks in the ‘22 season to rank No. 3 in the conference and No. 36 in the nation.
Wyoming entered the 2022 college football season as the fourth youngest team in the country but went on to record a 7-6 record, finish second in the Mountain West Conference Mountain Division and earn a spot in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Along the way the ‘22 Pokes defeated rivals Air Force, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and American Athletic Conference member Tulsa. Wyoming’s 7-6 record gave them their fifth winning season in the past seven seasons.
The 2021 Wyoming rushing attack ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 20 in the NCAA, averaging 211.7 yards per game. UW’s passing attack was fourth best in the MW and No. 38 in the nation in average yards per completion (13.06 yards). The Cowboys posted a 7-6 record and won their third consecutive bowl game, with a convincing 52-38 win over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The 52 points scored in the bowl victory was a school record for a bowl game. Wyoming scored 40 or more points four times during the season in victories at Northern Illinois (50 points), vs. Ball State (45), at eventual MW champion Utah State (44) and vs. Kent State.
Moore’s tight ends and fullbacks had a productive 2021 season. Treyton Welch caught 19 passes for 163 yards. Parker Christensen had 13 receptions for 127, while Colin O’Brien caught two passes for 27 yards and Jackson Marcotte added one reception for six yards. Combined, the four tight ends caught 35 passes for 323 yards.
That 2021 tight end group helped block for Wyoming’s No. 2 all-time career rusher Xazavian Valladay and sophomore Titus Swen, who combined for an extremely effective season. Valladay recorded the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career (1,070 yards) and Swen rushed for 785 yards. Both earned All-Conference recognition in ‘21. Valladay received Second Team All-MW honors from head coaches and media. Swen was a Second Team selection by Pro Football Focus. Valladay ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West in rushing yards (82.3 yards per game). Swen ranked No. 2 in the MW and No. 26 in the nation in yards per carry (5.95).
The 2021 kickoff return team for the Cowboys ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West and No. 39 in the FBS, averaging 23.0 yards per return. Leading that unit was Cowboy cornerback, Cam Stone, who averaged 40.0 yards per kickoff return and returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Wyoming’s 44-17 road win over eventual MW champion Utah State. Stone was named an Honorable Mention All-MW honoree by Pro Football Focus.
Wyoming’s 2020 offense again featured one of the most effective rushing attacks in the country among FBS teams. The Pokes ranked No. 14 in the nation in rushing, averaging 219.5 rushing yards per game. UW’s passing attack also ranked No. 7 nationally in passing yards per completion (14.84 yards per pass completion). The Cowboys ranked No. 24 in fewest turnovers committed (9 total turnovers) and were No. 32 in red-zone offense (converting 23 of 26 red-zone opportunities into points). The tight end group combined for 12 catches for 184 yards in six games, with sophomore Treyton Welch leading the group with five receptions for 95 yards. Moore’s tight ends and fullbacks were key in opening holes for junior running back Xazavian Valladay, who earned First Team All-Mountain West honors and led the league in rushing for the second consecutive season. Valladay averaged 110.0 rushing yards per game to not only lead the Mountain West but rank No. 17 in the nation. He also averaged 131.00 all-purpose yards per game to rank No. 27 nationally.
In 2019, the Cowboy offense ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 23 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 214.8 yards per game. The Cowboy offense also ranked No. 10 in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.75 yards per completion), No. 14 in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.62 per game), No. 26 in fewest fumbles lost (6), No. 32 in third-down conversions (43.3 percent), No. 32 in fewest sacks allowed (1.62 per game) and No. 33 in fewest turnovers committed (15). The Cowboy fullbacks and tight ends helped block for running back Valladay, who earned First Team All-Mountain West honors for the 2019 season. Valladay was one of only three running backs in the nation named to the Associated Press All-Bowl team. Moore’s tight ends combined for 29 receptions for 391 yards and four touchdowns in 2019, and were led by senior team captain Josh Harshman from Casper, Wyo., who had 20 catches for 264 yards and two TDs. On special teams, Wyoming ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 4 in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 27.73 yards per return. UW was No. 4 in the MW and No. 34 in the NCAA in punt returns, averaging 10.76 yards per return, and senior punt returner Austin Conway ranked No. 2 in the conference and No. 14 nationally in punt returns (10.8 yards per return). Conway was named Second Team All-Mountain West as a return specialist in voting by conference head coaches and media.
Moore came to Wyoming from East Carolina University, which is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Moore coached at East Carolina for three seasons from 2016-18. His first two seasons, he coached the tight ends and coordinated the special teams for the Pirates, including coordinating the field goal, punt and kickoff return and punt and kickoff coverage teams. In 2016, punter Worth Gregory earned All-American Athletic Conference honors and place-kicker Davis Plowman ranked No. 2 in the AAC in field goals made per game and in field-goal percentage. The 2017 season saw punter Austin Barnes lead the AAC in punting and rank No. 19 in the nation, while place-kicker Jake Verity ranked No. 2 in the AAC and No. 33 in the nation in field goals made per game. Punter Worth went to mini-camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars when his college career ended in 2016, and tight end Stephen Baggett earned a spot in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason camp following his senior season of 2017. Moore’s final season, he continued to coach the tight ends, while also being given the responsibility of being East Carolina’s recruiting coordinator.
Before joining the East Carolina coaching staff, Moore coached for two seasons (2014-15) at Florida International University where he served as the special teams coordinator both seasons. His 2014 Panther special teams’ units ranked No. 1 overall in Conference USA in special teams combined rankings, and his 2015 special teams were No. 3 overall. Punt returner Richard Leonard led Conference USA in punt returns both seasons and earned First Team All-Conference honors as a punt returner in both 2014 and ‘15. Leonard set a new FIU single-season school record for punt returns in 2014, averaging 23.76 yards per return. Leonard went on to play for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. The Panthers ranked No. 1 in C-USA in punt returns as a team in 2014 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. Moore’s 2015 special teams led the league and ranked among the country’s best in punt return average (10.8 yards per return), most blocked kicks (four) and fewest blocks allowed (zero).
Moore coached for eight seasons as a full-time assistant coach at South Dakota State (2006-13) and two years at SDSU as a graduate assistant (2003-04). During his time at South Dakota State, he coordinated special teams and coached tight ends his last four seasons from 2010-13. Prior to that, Moore coached the running backs and tight ends from 2006-08, before taking on the duties of special teams coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 2009 season.
During his tenure with the Jackrabbits, Moore coached four All-Conference running backs and a pair of All-Conference tight ends. At running back, Kyle Minett developed into a two-time All-America honoree while ranking second in career rushing with 4,277 yards. Anthony Watson and Cory Koenig also ended their careers in the top five on SDSU’s career rushing chart. Moore played an instrumental role in the development of two-time All-Great West Football Conference tight end Chris Wagner, who later signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders. Moore also served as a mentor to tight end Colin Cochart, who earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors in 2010 and later signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jackrabbits consistently ranked among the top teams in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in several special teams categories under Moore’s direction. SDSU ranked first or second in kickoff coverage in 2010 and 2011, while ranking among the Top 20 nationally for net punting in those respective campaigns. The Jackrabbits also ranked ninth nationally for kickoff returns with an average of 23.86 yards per return in 2010.
In addition to his coaching duties, Moore performed a key role in the academic success of the South Dakota State football program, which led its league in the number of Academic All-League selections in each of his eight seasons. Six Jackrabbits earned Capital One Academic All-America honors, two received Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Athletic Directors Association Postgraduate Scholarships and another pair were bestowed with NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. Moore previously served as a graduate assistant at SDSU during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, working with the running backs, tight ends and special teams.
Before returning to Brookings, he served as head coach of the Wyoming Cavalry of the National Indoor Football League, where he compiled an 18-11 record over two seasons in 2004 and ‘05. In 2005, Moore led the Casper-based Cavalry to a franchise-best, 10-5 record and a playoff berth, while also serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Moore played three seasons at Black Hills (S.D.) State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2000. Moore completed his master’s degree in educational administration in 2005 and his master’s in sports administration in 2007, both from South Dakota State.
A native of Gordon, Neb., Moore and his wife, Lindsay, have one daughter, Mackenzie Rose.
Moore recruits the states of South Dakota and Wyoming and the Dallas metropolitan area.
Coaching Experience
2019- Wyoming Tight Ends and Fullbacks
2018 East Carolina Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
2016-17 East Carolina Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2014-15 Florida International Special Teams Coordinator
2010-13 South Dakota State Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2009 South Dakota State Special Teams Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2006-08 South Dakota State Running Backs and Tight Ends
2004-05 Wyoming Cavalry* Head Coach
2003-04 South Dakota State Graduate Assistant
*Member of the National Indoor Football League
