Through all the frenetic gameplay and spectacle, Boise State Esports shares the same goal with Boise State University as a whole. That goal is to foster students talent and help guide them towards fulfilling careers in their adult life. There is perhaps no better example of that journey than the incredible story of Coach Alex “NotKoba” Moore. Starting as a League of Legends player, Coach Moore rose through the ranks of the esports program to land a faculty position with Boise State.
Starting as a Student
Coach Moore’s journey with Boise State Esports started the same as others, as a varsity player. Known by his gamertag “NotKoba”, Moore played on the Bronco League of Legends team until his graduation in 2019. Moore graduated with a degree in Business, Business Administration.
Moore graduated at a time when the esports program was experiencing tremendous growth. Even though the program was only two years old, it had already grown out of it’s humble beginnings in the campus education building into a dedicated arena in downtown Boise. With the challenges that came with growth, not only in venue but the amount of games Boise State supported, head coach Dr. Chris Haskell realized he needed a reliable, talented graduate to help lead the program.
“As a student and a player, he always had the pulse of the team. They relied on him for most things,” says Dr. Haskell, “When we hired him and he became Coach Moore, he quickly confirmed that he can prepare players for competitive and academic success.”
A Career as Coach
As soon as Moore started his career with Boise State, he immediately looked to see where the program could expand. At the time, the now universal game Valorant had not been released. It was Coach Moore who was instrumental in establishing a varsity team in the game. Coach Moore also worked tirelessly to form the Boise State Halo team from scratch. Both of these teams now have multiple championship titles won. It is not an exaggeration to say that without Moore, there would be entire varsity teams that wouldn’t exist today.
“It was Coach Moore who believed in both Valorant and Halo as games worthy of full program support. He backed that up by recruiting teams that went on to win their respective conference championship in their first seasons,” says Dr. Haskell.
Presently, Coach Moore continues to be head coach of Boise State’s Valorant and Halo teams. With upcoming tournaments in ECAC, AVGL, CVAL, and Redbull Campus Clutch, he will no doubt continue to be busy leading the Broncos towards future wins. To see updates on Boise State’s Valorant and Halo teams, follow Boise State Esports on Twitch!
Written by Jacob Palmer.
