Thirteen months ago, Brandon Moore's football world was full of bright, glittering stars and tantalizing possibilities. What's the momentum? unfathomable. What about happiness? Off the charts.
Moore was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year at Colorado School of Mines, where he led the program to the national championship game. He just accepted a job at the University of San Diego, a bright step up to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
he was a winner. He had a stepping stone to a higher position. All for a first class ticket to an exhilarating professional freight train ride.
Less than four months later, a rock fell into his world.
Grand Canyon size type.
“I don't know if disgusting is a strong enough word,” Moore said this week as USD prepared for its spring game, scheduled for noon Saturday at Torero Stadium. Told. “It stuck me.”
USD coach Brandon Moore speaks with running back James Scott at the end of Thursday's practice.
(From Hayne Palmore IV/San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Union-Tribune revealed on Aug. 23 that the university is investigating ugly allegations about Hagee. Police investigations and lawsuits followed, leaving the faith-based university in disrepute.
Before the first whistle sounded for the fall, Moore's leg was knocked out from under him.
“When we started this, we didn't know how to handle it,” Moore said. “I had never experienced anything like this. This was my second year as a head coach. So there was some trepidation.
“Yes, I definitely considered finishing the season without playing, in terms of thinking about what’s best for the players and what’s best for the university.
“That was definitely an option.”
The fallout continues, but the smoke is clearing.
A spokesperson for the San Diego County Attorney's Office confirmed to the Union-Tribune that the criminal investigation closed in February without charges being filed.
The university ended its investigation early, President James T. Harris III said in a campus statement on Dec. 14.
The decks have been cleared for an unprecedented reboot.
“I hate that I had to go through that, but my faith teaches me that there are no accidents and that everything happens for a reason,” Moore said. “I think it just added to the reason why I’m here.”
The small steps began by tearing down the house down to the studs and building it up board by board and nail by nail.
USD football coach Brandon Moore will lead Thursday's practice.
(From Hayne Palmore IV/San Diego Union-Tribune)
USD brought in a third party to implement the program and punish those who participated and are still participating in the program and those affected by the program through something called restorative justice.
They peeled back barriers, ripped off Band-Aids, and poked at the most exposed nerves.
“One thing I’m really looking forward to is something called the Team Trust Challenge,” Moore explained. “Fundamentally, it's a responsible job. They share what makes them who they are, what their relationships with their families are, and what's important to them.
“What adversity are they already facing? It's for us to gain understanding.”
The goal was to be a destination that goes beyond lip service.
“It's accountability,” Moore said. “We have to own what we did. We have to understand what happened. We have to figure out the details of it. Don't just say “Yes, that happened” and move on. No, this is my role in what happened and to be transparent with each other. ”
Mr. Moore has secured one steadfast believer.
Tom Skinner, USD's general counsel, led the university's legal side and sorted through the tangled mess. He said he learned along the way that the Torellos had the right people for this unique and complex job.
“He's been great throughout this period,” Skinner said. “If he can call the plays and coach the way he's handled all of this, he's going to be very successful. I told the board, 'If this guy isn't who I say he is, he's going to be very successful. In that case, I will resign.” he is real That person has integrity. ”
“He prepared me, a skeptical lawyer, to break through a wall. He's already changed the culture 180 degrees.”
The proof is in the long-term pudding.
Skinner said all players who participated faced some type of discipline, regardless of whether they were considered active or passive participants. Cases of people who went through a more formal student conduct process in another department of the university have been resolved. Comparing the 2023 and 2024 rosters shows two members of Moore's staff have left the program.
“The other thing we've done is we've taken away the idea that everybody has the right to come here on Saturday and play,” Moore said. “That's not true. It's an honor to play this game. It's an honor to play for the University of San Diego. It's a privilege to wear Torero Blue.
“You have to earn the privilege to do that.”
Is there a part of Moore's mind that wishes he hadn't been the first to inform university officials and have to press the go button for all the pain and chaos that followed?
“It was very easy,” he said. “There were no second thoughts. Individuals were negatively affected and something needed to be done about it, regardless of what it meant for the season.
“What matters is the health and safety of our athletes.”
USD football coach Brandon Moore watches his players during spring practice Thursday.
(From Hayne Palmore IV/San Diego Union-Tribune)
Solving everything means solving yourself.
“It's about making sure our players understand what integrity means and have a strong moral compass,” Moore said. “Having the strength and courage to say to someone, 'No, that's beyond my beliefs.' No, that's a direct attack on my integrity.”
“It gives them the courage to own their space and believe in who they are and what they're doing. They're done by doing, and they're done by being uncomfortable with each other. This is accomplished by having difficult and deep conversations.”
Maybe, just maybe, those football stars will shine brightly again.
