{"id":6592,"date":"2025-02-18T09:38:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/?p=6592"},"modified":"2025-02-18T12:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T17:39:13","slug":"trophy-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/2025\/trophy-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Trophy Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">Last fall, Katie Burrows got together with some former teammates from her days playing guard in the early 2000s for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. They dedicated part of their visit to checking out a new renovation and addition to their old home, McKenzie Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trip stirred memories for the former Mocs. They took some pictures and reminisced. Then they had an idea. \u201cEverybody [was] like, \u2018Let\u2019s send some pictures to Frankie,\u2019\u201d says Burrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;I can&#8217;t think of a better friend and better coach. And he might be the most underrated coach in the country.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Gary Blair<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrankie\u201d is a former office supply salesman and past prison guard who, after those gigs, decided to coach college basketball. He has no children of his own but is himself a fun-loving big kid. He is a homegrown Texan (\u201cI was born in Texas City,\u201d he jokes, \u201cso you can\u2019t get any more Texas than that, right?\u201d), but he\u2019s spent most of his professional life in Tennessee and Raleigh, carving out one of the most indelible legacies in women\u2019s college basketball. He\u2019s won coach of the year awards as well as Southern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles, and his teams have become a mainstay come NCAA tournament time every March. And \u201cFrankie\u201d is a Final Four coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Wes Moore holds his 2024 Final Four ring.\" class=\"wp-image-6595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrankie\u201d is Wes Moore\u2009\u2014\u200a\u201cFrankie\u201d from Frank, his given first name. And while his Final Four ride with the Wolfpack in March 2024 would be the apex of a career for most coaches, once you start peeling back the layers to Moore, who is now in his 38th year overall in college coaching and his 12th at NC&#160;State, it\u2019s easy to see his legacy is quantified by more than just wins: It\u2019s defined by the family he\u2019s spent three-plus decades assembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cWe were his children, you know. He\u2019s got hundreds of \u2018daughters\u2019 just running around.\u201d <br>\u2014 Katie Burrows<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clockwise from the top: Raina Perez \u201922 MR, Saniya Rivers, River Baldwin \u201924 MR and Mimi Collins helped Moore to ACC tournament titles and last year to the Final Four. Photographs courtesy of NC&#160;State Athletics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>Players from his early days in coaching at Maryville College will tell you this. Those Mocs players who catch up with Moore via texts attest to it. And former and current Wolfpack standouts agree that family is the cornerstone of Moore\u2019s programs. That\u2019s on display in his office where, mixed in with all his trophies and plaques, former star Mimi Collins\u2019 painting of a hoop and Wolfpack basketball sits on the windowsill, showcased like any adoring parent would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were his children, you know,\u201d says Burrows. \u201cHe\u2019s got hundreds of \u2018daughters\u2019 just running around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding Family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When River Baldwin \u201924 MR transferred from Florida State to NC&#160;State in the fall of 2022, she says she felt deflated. She hadn\u2019t been the player she\u2019d expected to be coming out of high school, and her confidence was down. Baldwin, who now plays professionally overseas, says it was Moore\u2019s sarcastic humor, which mirrored her own father\u2019s, that won her over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once playing for Moore, she experienced something wholly unique. \u201cHis belief in me to be an impact player was something that I had never experienced and no coach had ever given me vocally,\u201d says Baldwin, who posted 21 games in double figures last season on her way to helping lead the Wolfpack\u2019s run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"823\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesPractice_72_RGB-crop.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesPractice_72_RGB-crop.jpg 823w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesPractice_72_RGB-crop-293x300.jpg 293w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesPractice_72_RGB-crop-768x788.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cHis belief in me to be an impact player was something that I had never experienced.\u201d <br>\u2014 River Baldwin \u201924 MR<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore, 67, says hearing such sentiments from former players is an unbelievable privilege. \u201cMy current players wouldn\u2019t believe it, but I\u2019ve gotten a few letters through the years,\u201d he says with his trademark self-effacement. \u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. [It\u2019s] still special when you have that relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;He&#8217;s passionate. And he&#8217;s passionate about basketball. He&#8217;s passionate about life after basketball for these young ladies.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Nikki West<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Placing a premium on relationships is something that sprang from Moore\u2019s childhood. He grew up in Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. His father left the family when Moore was very young (and he only met him a couple of times as an adult), so Moore grew up in a single-parent home, watching his mother work multiple jobs in the computer and technology fields to support him and his two older sisters. \u201cI can hardly ever remember seeing his mom,\u201d says Gary Jones, a childhood and lifelong friend to Moore. \u201cIf we\u2019d go over there, she\u2019d be gone. She\u2019d be at work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1261\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited.jpg 1261w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1261px) 100vw, 1261px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Childhood and Raleigh friends, as well as family (including Moore&#8217;s wife, Linda, on the left end), still come to games to support Moore. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moore still hits up a Texas Rangers game now and again, here with old pal Larry Carruth. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know how my mom did it,\u201d says Moore, who makes a trip to Dallas every year and visits her grave on Mother\u2019s Day (she died in 1978). He remembers the evenings his mother would work the night shift. He\u2019d shoot hoops in his driveway, in the diffuse glow of a streetlight, until well after dark. \u201cThis is going to sound crazy,\u201d says Moore, \u201cbut I\u2019d sometimes be more afraid of being in the house by myself than being outside by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Moore describes his childhood as nothing but a joyous time. He felt his mom\u2019s love, and he forged relationships with a steady group of friends. He\u2019d play football, basketball and baseball with them. He\u2019d head to Texas Rangers games with them. (Still does.) He went to church and traveled with his buddies on choir trips across the country. At church, he also found the Royal  Ambassadors (RA), what he describes as a Boy Scouts for the Baptist church. His friends\u2019 fathers would coach his teams, lead RA meetings and take him camping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A reunion with some of Moore\u2019s former players from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\u2009\u2014\u2009and their children. Photograph courtesy of Linda Moore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moore on a visit with the father of his childhood friend Gary Jones. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;He will not compromise his morals just to win.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Katie Burrows<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>With time, his network grew to include other mentors who\u2019d shape his life: A now ex-husband to one of his older sisters, a man everyone calls \u201cBig Jim.\u201d His first college coach, at Dallas Christian College, Gene Phillips. Russell Morgan, who recruited him to play at Johnson Bible College (now University), where Moore would play basketball for a year and then pause his studies for a year to work, earning money to pay for the next year of school. Doug Karnes, who coached him at Johnson, too. Randy Lambert, who hired Moore for his first head-coaching gig at Maryville College in 1987. \u201cI knew after 30 minutes with him [that] he was the person I needed to hire,\u201d says Lambert. Kay Yow, who hired Moore as an assistant coach in 1993 after a chance meeting with him on the recruiting trail and an interview. And Yow\u2019s sister Debbie, who brought Moore back to Raleigh in 2013 as head coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Welcoming Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Leah Onks-England was named Blount County (Tenn.) Player of the Year twice during her high-school career in the late 1980s. Moore wanted her to join the team he was coaching at Maryville College, where he\u2019d seen early success, taking the Scots to the Division III NCAA tournament. Problem was Maryville, Tenn., was Onks-England\u2019s hometown, and she wanted to go away and had no intention of signing with Maryville. That is until Moore, the p\u00e2tissier, showed up with a cake decorated with the number 22\u2009\u2014\u2006her number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;He was genuine. You know when it&#8217;s coming from a place of someone who cares about you. He cares about what&#8217;s going on with you.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Leah Onks-England<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho do you think baked that cake?\u201d Onks-England, now a middle-school teacher in Tennessee, asks with a laugh. Thirty-plus years later, Moore coyly admits, \u201cMy wife made the cake.\u201d And it worked. Onks-England signed on and became one of the most prolific scorers in the school\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore met his wife, Linda, who is from Jamesville, N.C., while they studied at Johnson Bible College, and she\u2019s been right beside him as his partner for the last 44 years. He says when he was at his second head-coaching gig, at Francis Marion University, he became keenly aware of how much time other coaches spent away from their families on the road chasing recruits. Moore says it was then that he and Linda decided they would not have children. But Linda is very much a mother figure, supporting the women and opening her home to them for Thanksgiving dinner and to watch Dallas Cowboys games (Wes\u2019 pick).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"NC&#160;State women's basketball players sit around a holiday dinner table.\" class=\"wp-image-6670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited.jpg 1456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cFamily\u201d gatherings at the holidays, like the one this season, are quite common at the Moore household. Photograph courtesy of Linda Moore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe always says, \u2018I don\u2019t need kids. I have 15 daughters every year. I\u2019ve got more daughters than anyone,\u2019\u201d says Raina Perez \u201922 MR, a transfer guard at NC&#160;State from 2020 to 2022. She\u2019s now an assistant coach with Rice University\u2019s women\u2019s basketball. \u201cThat family experience is super important to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior guard Saniya Rivers says that was one of the main reasons she ended up at NC&#160;State. \u201cI\u2019m a family person,\u201d she says. \u201cI came to [NC&#160;State] games in high school. So just being able to see that and then [to] obviously come here and be a part of it, I knew what it was going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;One of my favorites. Of all time. An individual.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Randy Lambert<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore\u2019s other recruiting tales end in five-star gets\u2009\u2014\u2009look no further than Zamareya Jones, a freshman out of Greenville, N.C.\u2009\u2014\u200aand are full of self-deprecating stories. Like the time he trashed his entire lunch he\u2019d just ordered at Taco Bell to chase down a recruit in Gatlinburg, Tenn., at a Future Farmers of America convention. Or the time he was unaware of a recruit\u2019s phobia. \u201cI had a kid come here to State,\u201d he says. \u201cShe flew in at like 11:30 at night. I went to pick her up myself at the airport. I parked and went in. I put the wolf head on. So I\u2019m in the terminal with the wolf head on, and then later I find out she was deathly scared of mascots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attempts at personal touches are important to Moore. Burrows, who, after playing on Moore\u2019s team went on to work as an assistant coach for him at UT Chattanooga before eventually serving as head coach for the Mocs from 2018 to 2022, says he always eschewed the form letter for handwritten notes. And when a recruit was coming to town, Moore would walk the exact path she\u2019d be walking around campus before she arrived to make sure there was no trash and everything looked perfect. \u201cHe was very good about making people feel like they were special,\u201d she says, \u201clike they were somebody that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cHe likes to personalize the envelope, personalize the letter, and he\u2019s not going to write the same thing to each kid.\u201d <br>\u2014 Nikki West, Associate Head Coach <\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Associate Head Coach Nikki West, Moore\u2019s longtime top assistant. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nikki West, Wolfpack associate head coach who has been an assistant for Moore for 18 years, says that\u2019s still alive in his approach. \u201cHe likes to personalize the envelope, personalize the letter,\u201d she says, \u201cand he\u2019s not going to write the same thing to each kid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;He&#8217;s very authentic. He&#8217;s very real in himself. As a kid or anybody growing up, you&#8217;re going to hate it in the moment. But it&#8217;s like going through life. I appreciate his honesty.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Mimi Collins<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting the players to Raleigh is one thing. But in an era where it\u2019s easier than ever for players to transfer and leave, keeping them is another. Moore\u2019s ace in the hole is that he is one of the most authentic coaches to ever take the helm of a Wolfpack team, something that calls to mind other Wolfpack legends. \u201cHe\u2019s not like anybody I can think of that is in the game,\u201d says close friend and former Texas A&amp;M head women\u2019s basketball coach Gary Blair, who is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. \u201cThe people at NC&#160;State should realize that. It\u2019s what made Kay Yow so special. It\u2019s what made [Jim] Valvano so special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On display in Moore&#8217;s office: a photo of him with Kay Yow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure Moore has the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as proof\u2009\u2014\u2009he\u2019s second in active DI women\u2019s basketball coaches in wins with 851 (and ranks fourth overall in men\u2019s and women\u2019s hoops). He\u2019s won everywhere he\u2019s been: Maryville College, Francis Marion University, UT Chattanooga and NC&#160;State. He\u2019s sent players to the WNBA. But it\u2019s his authenticity that leaves a mark. It\u2019s not uncommon for any story you hear about him to end with the teller\u2019s sentiment of, \u201cThat\u2019s just Wes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;He hardly has any time. He&#8217;s studying film. He studies an analyzes and plans.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Doug Karnes<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the CliffsNotes of what\u2019s \u201cjust Wes\u201d: Everyone\u2009\u2014\u2009even Moore himself\u2009\u2014\u2009describes him as frugal. He\u2019s well-known for tasking assistant coaches to go into restaurants on trips to see if they can secure free drinks for the team, a trick he learned from Karnes, Moore\u2019s coach at Johnson. (\u201cTaught him well,\u201d Karnes laughs.) He\u2019s a quick thinker on the court because he\u2019s so prepared by watching game film, but he admittedly struggles to make decisions in life. (\u201cHe\u2019s the only guy I\u2019ve ever known that will ask for samples of soup at restaurants,\u201d says Lambert, still a close friend. \u201cHe can\u2019t make up his mind between chicken noodle and chili.\u201d) He can be a glass-half-empty type of guy. (\u201cHe\u2019s going to let out an expletive in his backswing because he doesn\u2019t think [the ball] is going 225 [yards] straight down the middle of the fairway,\u201d says Blair, also a regular golfing pal.) But that also comes from Moore being a perfectionist. (Perez says he expects his guards to have zero turnovers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cI kept wondering why everyone didn\u2019t think Wes was the be-all, end-all. Finally, everyone knows what I knew about Wes in those days. \u00a0&#8230; He is not conniving to try to figure out how to be something that he\u2019s not.\u201d <br>\u2014 Grant Allen, childhood friend<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Texas friend Grant Allen is tickled that with the Final Four run last March, the entire country got a chance to see Moore\u2019s authenticity. \u201cI kept wondering why everyone didn\u2019t think Wes was the be-all, end-all,\u201d he says of his days palling around Dallas with Moore. \u201cFinally, everyone knows what I knew about Wes in those days. &#8230; He is not conniving to try to figure out how to be something that he\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A portrait of a smiling Wes Moore, who sits in a row of empty seats at Reynolds Coliseum.\" class=\"wp-image-6723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;If you play defense and rebound, he&#8217;ll celebrate you. If you don&#8217;t, he won&#8217;t.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Saniya Rivers<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Deepening Moore\u2019s authenticity are his humility (he\u2019s always deflecting praise to his players) and what Wolfpack associate head coach West calls his passion. Former player Perez calls it his competitiveness and cites it as the reason he relates so well to players. Just go to a practice, where, former Texas A&amp;M coach Blair says, Moore is his best. He plans each one carefully. He directs everything. He challenges his players to absorb what he\u2019s teaching, and when they don\u2019t, he\u2019s hard on them, even his stars. He tolerates excuses about as much as he would a $25 entr\u00e9e. He doesn\u2019t sugarcoat any of his criticism or frustration. He has pet peeves that will set him off\u2009\u2014\u2009right-handed layups from the left side, not jumping to the ball, not rebounding and not using the bounce pass enough. But, Burrows, who now is a teacher and high-school basketball coach in Georgia, says he doesn\u2019t get any more mad at his players than he believes them to be at themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then there are his little sayings: Avoid being a dead squirrel. \u201cHe said, \u2018Squirrels can\u2019t pick which way they want to go, so they\u2019re dead,\u2019\u201d says sophomore Maddie Cox. Be like McDonald\u2019s fries. \u201cNo matter where we go\u2009\u2014\u2009home, road, wherever,\u201d says Moore, \u201cI want to make sure they know what they\u2019re getting.\u201d \u201cFresh and salty,\u201d says senior Rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6603\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;We go on the Jet Skis, he&#8217;s there. We&#8217;re on the boat, he&#8217;s there. We went snorkeling, he&#8217;s there.&#8221; <br>\u2014 River Baldwin<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Players laugh when recounting these sayings. And they laugh at the moments when Moore jumps into the fun and lets himself be a kid with them, leaving behind any tensions from practice. That\u2019s a big part of why he\u2019s so popular with his players. He\u2019s on the Jet Ski with them when they travel. He\u2019s learning a new TikTok dance. When the team went to the Bahamas a couple of years back, he went down the waterslides and jumped off cliffs into the water. \u201cI feel like a lot of programs across the country have had coaches who will separate themselves,\u201d says former NC&#160;State player Baldwin. \u201cHe\u2019s just all about having fun and being involved with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2018What Can Make Me Feel This Way?\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  &#8220;It&#8217;s like pulling teeth to try to get him to try a new barbecue place.&#8221; <br>\u2014 Larry Carruth<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore is certainly a creature of habit. \u201cThe old man just has a routine,\u201d says Baldwin. He has his go-tos: Large iced tea, lemons, extra ice. City Barbeque in Raleigh on Tuesday for half-priced ribs. Westerns playing in the background as he watches game film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHis favorite song is \u2018My Girl,\u2019\u201d says former star Collins, who now plays professionally overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore joyously belts out the song in practices and at shootarounds. When he sings it, he makes a minor change: he adds an \u201cs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat can make me feel this way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy Girls\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His \u201c15 daughters every year.\u201d His girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His family.<br><br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lead photography by Becky Kirkland, NC&#160;State.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-heading\">Tell Us What You Think<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have a personal connection to this story? Did it spark a memory? Want to share your thoughts? Send us a letter, and we may include it in an upcoming issue of <em>NC&#160;State<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-button\"><a href=\"magazine.ncsu.edu\/letter\" class=\"btn ncst-block__button-link\" data-ncst-lightbox=\"false\" data-ua-cat=\"Button Block\" data-ua-action=\"Button Click\" data-ua-label=\"magazine.ncsu.edu\/letter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"text\">Send a Letter to the Editor<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\">\n<svg class=\"wp-block-ncst-wolficon wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\"\/><\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header {\"block\":\"ncst\/side-by-side-header\"} -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/side-by-side-header {\"backgroundColor\":\"reynolds_400\",\"focalPoint\":{\"x\":0.52,\"y\":0.42},\"subtitle\":\"In a career of countless wins and last year\u2019s Final Four run, Wes Moore\u2019s true legacy is family.\"} \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"className\":\"is-style-lead\"} -->\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">Last fall, Katie Burrows got together with some former teammates from her days playing guard in the early 2000s for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. They dedicated part of their visit to checking out a new renovation and addition to their old home, McKenzie Arena.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The trip stirred memories for the former Mocs. They took some pictures and reminisced. Then they had an idea. \u201cEverybody [was] like, \u2018Let\u2019s send some pictures to Frankie,\u2019\u201d says Burrows.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022I can't think of a better friend and better coach. And he might be the most underrated coach in the country.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Gary Blair\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"I can't think of a better friend and better coach. And he might be the most underrated coach in the country.\" <br>\u2014 Gary Blair<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cFrankie\u201d is a former office supply salesman and past prison guard who, after those gigs, decided to coach college basketball. He has no children of his own but is himself a fun-loving big kid. He is a homegrown Texan (\u201cI was born in Texas City,\u201d he jokes, \u201cso you can\u2019t get any more Texas than that, right?\u201d), but he\u2019s spent most of his professional life in Tennessee and Raleigh, carving out one of the most indelible legacies in women\u2019s college basketball. He\u2019s won coach of the year awards as well as Southern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles, and his teams have become a mainstay come NCAA tournament time every March. And \u201cFrankie\u201d is a Final Four coach.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6595,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WeswithRing_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Wes Moore holds his 2024 Final Four ring.\" class=\"wp-image-6595\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cFrankie\u201d is Wes Moore\u2009\u2014\u200a\u201cFrankie\u201d from Frank, his given first name. And while his Final Four ride with the Wolfpack in March 2024 would be the apex of a career for most coaches, once you start peeling back the layers to Moore, who is now in his 38th year overall in college coaching and his 12th at NC State, it\u2019s easy to see his legacy is quantified by more than just wins: It\u2019s defined by the family he\u2019s spent three-plus decades assembling.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \u201cWe were his children, you know. He\u2019s got hundreds of \u2018daughters\u2019 just running around.\u201d \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Katie Burrows\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cWe were his children, you know. He\u2019s got hundreds of \u2018daughters\u2019 just running around.\u201d <br>\u2014 Katie Burrows<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:ncst\/image-column -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6604,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Raina-PerezWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6604\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6608,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Saniya-RiversWes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6608\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-column -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-column -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6606,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mimi-Collins-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6606\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clockwise from the top: Raina Perez \u201922 MR, Saniya Rivers, River Baldwin \u201924 MR and Mimi Collins helped Moore to ACC tournament titles and last year to the Final Four. Photographs courtesy of NC State Athletics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6607,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/River-Baldwin-Wes_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6607\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-column --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Players from his early days in coaching at Maryville College will tell you this. Those Mocs players who catch up with Moore via texts attest to it. And former and current Wolfpack standouts agree that family is the cornerstone of Moore\u2019s programs. That\u2019s on display in his office where, mixed in with all his trophies and plaques, former star Mimi Collins\u2019 painting of a hoop and Wolfpack basketball sits on the windowsill, showcased like any adoring parent would.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cWe were his children, you know,\u201d says Burrows. \u201cHe\u2019s got hundreds of \u2018daughters\u2019 just running around.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2>Finding Family<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When River Baldwin \u201924 MR transferred from Florida State to NC State in the fall of 2022, she says she felt deflated. She hadn\u2019t been the player she\u2019d expected to be coming out of high school, and her confidence was down. Baldwin, who now plays professionally overseas, says it was Moore\u2019s sarcastic humor, which mirrored her own father\u2019s, that won her over.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Once playing for Moore, she experienced something wholly unique. \u201cHis belief in me to be an impact player was something that I had never experienced and no coach had ever given me vocally,\u201d says Baldwin, who posted 21 games in double figures last season on her way to helping lead the Wolfpack\u2019s run.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6659,\"sizeSlug\":\"full\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesPractice_72_RGB-crop.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6659\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \u201cHis belief in me to be an impact player was something that I had never experienced.\u201d \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 River Baldwin \u201924 MR\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cHis belief in me to be an impact player was something that I had never experienced.\u201d <br>\u2014 River Baldwin \u201924 MR<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Moore, 67, says hearing such sentiments from former players is an unbelievable privilege. \u201cMy current players wouldn\u2019t believe it, but I\u2019ve gotten a few letters through the years,\u201d he says with his trademark self-effacement. \u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. [It\u2019s] still special when you have that relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget {\"alignment\":\"left\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022He's passionate. And he's passionate about basketball. He's passionate about life after basketball for these young ladies.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Nikki West\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"He's passionate. And he's passionate about basketball. He's passionate about life after basketball for these young ladies.\" <br>\u2014 Nikki West<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Placing a premium on relationships is something that sprang from Moore\u2019s childhood. He grew up in Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. His father left the family when Moore was very young (and he only met him a couple of times as an adult), so Moore grew up in a single-parent home, watching his mother work multiple jobs in the computer and technology fields to support him and his two older sisters. \u201cI can hardly ever remember seeing his mom,\u201d says Gary Jones, a childhood and lifelong friend to Moore. \u201cIf we\u2019d go over there, she\u2019d be gone. She\u2019d be at work.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:ncst\/image-column -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6671,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_friendsAtGame_72_RGB-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6671\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Childhood and Raleigh friends, as well as family (including Moore's wife, Linda, on the left end), still come to games to support Moore. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6610,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLarryC_Rangers_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6610\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moore still hits up a Texas Rangers game now and again, here with old pal Larry Carruth. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-column --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know how my mom did it,\u201d says Moore, who makes a trip to Dallas every year and visits her grave on Mother\u2019s Day (she died in 1978). He remembers the evenings his mother would work the night shift. He\u2019d shoot hoops in his driveway, in the diffuse glow of a streetlight, until well after dark. \u201cThis is going to sound crazy,\u201d says Moore, \u201cbut I\u2019d sometimes be more afraid of being in the house by myself than being outside by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>But Moore describes his childhood as nothing but a joyous time. He felt his mom\u2019s love, and he forged relationships with a steady group of friends. He\u2019d play football, basketball and baseball with them. He\u2019d head to Texas Rangers games with them. (Still does.) He went to church and traveled with his buddies on choir trips across the country. At church, he also found the Royal  Ambassadors (RA), what he describes as a Boy Scouts for the Baptist church. His friends\u2019 fathers would coach his teams, lead RA meetings and take him camping.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:ncst\/image-column -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-column\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6615,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MomsKids_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6615\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A reunion with some of Moore\u2019s former players from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\u2009\u2014\u2009and their children. Photograph courtesy of Linda Moore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6600,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesGaryJones_72_RGBhorizontal-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6600\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moore on a visit with the father of his childhood friend Gary Jones. Photograph courtesy of Gary Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-column --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022He will not compromise his morals just to win.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Katie Burrows\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"He will not compromise his morals just to win.\" <br>\u2014 Katie Burrows<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>With time, his network grew to include other mentors who\u2019d shape his life: A now ex-husband to one of his older sisters, a man everyone calls \u201cBig Jim.\u201d His first college coach, at Dallas Christian College, Gene Phillips. Russell Morgan, who recruited him to play at Johnson Bible College (now University), where Moore would play basketball for a year and then pause his studies for a year to work, earning money to pay for the next year of school. Doug Karnes, who coached him at Johnson, too. Randy Lambert, who hired Moore for his first head-coaching gig at Maryville College in 1987. \u201cI knew after 30 minutes with him [that] he was the person I needed to hire,\u201d says Lambert. Kay Yow, who hired Moore as an assistant coach in 1993 after a chance meeting with him on the recruiting trail and an interview. And Yow\u2019s sister Debbie, who brought Moore back to Raleigh in 2013 as head coach.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"textAlign\":\"center\"} -->\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>A Welcoming Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Leah Onks-England was named Blount County (Tenn.) Player of the Year twice during her high-school career in the late 1980s. Moore wanted her to join the team he was coaching at Maryville College, where he\u2019d seen early success, taking the Scots to the Division III NCAA tournament. Problem was Maryville, Tenn., was Onks-England\u2019s hometown, and she wanted to go away and had no intention of signing with Maryville. That is until Moore, the p\u00e2tissier, showed up with a cake decorated with the number 22\u2009\u2014\u2006her number.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget {\"alignment\":\"left\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022He was genuine. You know when it's coming from a place of someone who cares about you. He cares about what's going on with you.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Leah Onks-England\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"He was genuine. You know when it's coming from a place of someone who cares about you. He cares about what's going on with you.\" <br>\u2014 Leah Onks-England<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cWho do you think baked that cake?\u201d Onks-England, now a middle-school teacher in Tennessee, asks with a laugh. Thirty-plus years later, Moore coyly admits, \u201cMy wife made the cake.\u201d And it worked. Onks-England signed on and became one of the most prolific scorers in the school\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Moore met his wife, Linda, who is from Jamesville, N.C., while they studied at Johnson Bible College, and she\u2019s been right beside him as his partner for the last 44 years. He says when he was at his second head-coaching gig, at Francis Marion University, he became keenly aware of how much time other coaches spent away from their families on the road chasing recruits. Moore says it was then that he and Linda decided they would not have children. But Linda is very much a mother figure, supporting the women and opening her home to them for Thanksgiving dinner and to watch Dallas Cowboys games (Wes\u2019 pick).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6670,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristmasaWithWes_72_RGB-edited-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"NC State women's basketball players sit around a holiday dinner table.\" class=\"wp-image-6670\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cFamily\u201d gatherings at the holidays, like the one this season, are quite common at the Moore household. Photograph courtesy of Linda Moore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cHe always says, \u2018I don\u2019t need kids. I have 15 daughters every year. I\u2019ve got more daughters than anyone,\u2019\u201d says Raina Perez \u201922 MR, a transfer guard at NC State from 2020 to 2022. She\u2019s now an assistant coach with Rice University\u2019s women\u2019s basketball. \u201cThat family experience is super important to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Senior guard Saniya Rivers says that was one of the main reasons she ended up at NC State. \u201cI\u2019m a family person,\u201d she says. \u201cI came to [NC State] games in high school. So just being able to see that and then [to] obviously come here and be a part of it, I knew what it was going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022One of my favorites. Of all time. An individual.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Randy Lambert\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"One of my favorites. Of all time. An individual.\" <br>\u2014 Randy Lambert<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Moore\u2019s other recruiting tales end in five-star gets\u2009\u2014\u2009look no further than Zamareya Jones, a freshman out of Greenville, N.C.\u2009\u2014\u200aand are full of self-deprecating stories. Like the time he trashed his entire lunch he\u2019d just ordered at Taco Bell to chase down a recruit in Gatlinburg, Tenn., at a Future Farmers of America convention. Or the time he was unaware of a recruit\u2019s phobia. \u201cI had a kid come here to State,\u201d he says. \u201cShe flew in at like 11:30 at night. I went to pick her up myself at the airport. I parked and went in. I put the wolf head on. So I\u2019m in the terminal with the wolf head on, and then later I find out she was deathly scared of mascots.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Attempts at personal touches are important to Moore. Burrows, who, after playing on Moore\u2019s team went on to work as an assistant coach for him at UT Chattanooga before eventually serving as head coach for the Mocs from 2018 to 2022, says he always eschewed the form letter for handwritten notes. And when a recruit was coming to town, Moore would walk the exact path she\u2019d be walking around campus before she arrived to make sure there was no trash and everything looked perfect. \u201cHe was very good about making people feel like they were special,\u201d she says, \u201clike they were somebody that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \u201cHe likes to personalize the envelope, personalize the letter, and he\u2019s not going to write the same thing to each kid.\u201d \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Nikki West, Associate Head Coach \"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cHe likes to personalize the envelope, personalize the letter, and he\u2019s not going to write the same thing to each kid.\u201d <br>\u2014 Nikki West, Associate Head Coach <\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6614,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Nikki_FFpillow_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6614\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Associate Head Coach Nikki West, Moore\u2019s longtime top assistant. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nikki West, Wolfpack associate head coach who has been an assistant for Moore for 18 years, says that\u2019s still alive in his approach. \u201cHe likes to personalize the envelope, personalize the letter,\u201d she says, \u201cand he\u2019s not going to write the same thing to each kid.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget {\"alignment\":\"left\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022He's very authentic. He's very real in himself. As a kid or anybody growing up, you're going to hate it in the moment. But it's like going through life. I appreciate his honesty.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Mimi Collins\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"He's very authentic. He's very real in himself. As a kid or anybody growing up, you're going to hate it in the moment. But it's like going through life. I appreciate his honesty.\" <br>\u2014 Mimi Collins<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Getting the players to Raleigh is one thing. But in an era where it\u2019s easier than ever for players to transfer and leave, keeping them is another. Moore\u2019s ace in the hole is that he is one of the most authentic coaches to ever take the helm of a Wolfpack team, something that calls to mind other Wolfpack legends. \u201cHe\u2019s not like anybody I can think of that is in the game,\u201d says close friend and former Texas A&amp;M head women\u2019s basketball coach Gary Blair, who is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. \u201cThe people at NC State should realize that. It\u2019s what made Kay Yow so special. It\u2019s what made [Jim] Valvano so special.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6611,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesKayYow_72_rgb-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6611\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On display in Moore's office: a photo of him with Kay Yow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sure Moore has the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as proof\u2009\u2014\u2009he\u2019s second in active DI women\u2019s basketball coaches in wins with 851 (and ranks fourth overall in men\u2019s and women\u2019s hoops). He\u2019s won everywhere he\u2019s been: Maryville College, Francis Marion University, UT Chattanooga and NC State. He\u2019s sent players to the WNBA. But it\u2019s his authenticity that leaves a mark. It\u2019s not uncommon for any story you hear about him to end with the teller\u2019s sentiment of, \u201cThat\u2019s just Wes.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6612,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Wes_whistle_72_RGB-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6612\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022He hardly has any time. He's studying film. He studies an analyzes and plans.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Doug Karnes\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"He hardly has any time. He's studying film. He studies an analyzes and plans.\" <br>\u2014 Doug Karnes<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Here\u2019s the CliffsNotes of what\u2019s \u201cjust Wes\u201d: Everyone\u2009\u2014\u2009even Moore himself\u2009\u2014\u2009describes him as frugal. He\u2019s well-known for tasking assistant coaches to go into restaurants on trips to see if they can secure free drinks for the team, a trick he learned from Karnes, Moore\u2019s coach at Johnson. (\u201cTaught him well,\u201d Karnes laughs.) He\u2019s a quick thinker on the court because he\u2019s so prepared by watching game film, but he admittedly struggles to make decisions in life. (\u201cHe\u2019s the only guy I\u2019ve ever known that will ask for samples of soup at restaurants,\u201d says Lambert, still a close friend. \u201cHe can\u2019t make up his mind between chicken noodle and chili.\u201d) He can be a glass-half-empty type of guy. (\u201cHe\u2019s going to let out an expletive in his backswing because he doesn\u2019t think [the ball] is going 225 [yards] straight down the middle of the fairway,\u201d says Blair, also a regular golfing pal.) But that also comes from Moore being a perfectionist. (Perez says he expects his guards to have zero turnovers).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \u201cI kept wondering why everyone didn\u2019t think Wes was the be-all, end-all. Finally, everyone knows what I knew about Wes in those days. \u00a0... He is not conniving to try to figure out how to be something that he\u2019s not.\u201d \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Grant Allen, childhood friend\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \u201cI kept wondering why everyone didn\u2019t think Wes was the be-all, end-all. Finally, everyone knows what I knew about Wes in those days. \u00a0... He is not conniving to try to figure out how to be something that he\u2019s not.\u201d <br>\u2014 Grant Allen, childhood friend<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Texas friend Grant Allen is tickled that with the Final Four run last March, the entire country got a chance to see Moore\u2019s authenticity. \u201cI kept wondering why everyone didn\u2019t think Wes was the be-all, end-all,\u201d he says of his days palling around Dallas with Moore. \u201cFinally, everyone knows what I knew about Wes in those days. ... He is not conniving to try to figure out how to be something that he\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6723,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Adj_Wes_ReynoldsSeats_72_RGB2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A portrait of a smiling Wes Moore, who sits in a row of empty seats at Reynolds Coliseum.\" class=\"wp-image-6723\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget {\"alignment\":\"left\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022If you play defense and rebound, he'll celebrate you. If you don't, he won't.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Saniya Rivers\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"If you play defense and rebound, he'll celebrate you. If you don't, he won't.\" <br>\u2014 Saniya Rivers<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Deepening Moore\u2019s authenticity are his humility (he\u2019s always deflecting praise to his players) and what Wolfpack associate head coach West calls his passion. Former player Perez calls it his competitiveness and cites it as the reason he relates so well to players. Just go to a practice, where, former Texas A&amp;M coach Blair says, Moore is his best. He plans each one carefully. He directs everything. He challenges his players to absorb what he\u2019s teaching, and when they don\u2019t, he\u2019s hard on them, even his stars. He tolerates excuses about as much as he would a $25 entr\u00e9e. He doesn\u2019t sugarcoat any of his criticism or frustration. He has pet peeves that will set him off\u2009\u2014\u2009right-handed layups from the left side, not jumping to the ball, not rebounding and not using the bounce pass enough. But, Burrows, who now is a teacher and high-school basketball coach in Georgia, says he doesn\u2019t get any more mad at his players than he believes them to be at themselves.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Then there are his little sayings: Avoid being a dead squirrel. \u201cHe said, \u2018Squirrels can\u2019t pick which way they want to go, so they\u2019re dead,\u2019\u201d says sophomore Maddie Cox. Be like McDonald\u2019s fries. \u201cNo matter where we go\u2009\u2014\u2009home, road, wherever,\u201d says Moore, \u201cI want to make sure they know what they\u2019re getting.\u201d \u201cFresh and salty,\u201d says senior Rivers.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":6603,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PlushieFries_72_RGB-knockout-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6603\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022We go on the Jet Skis, he's there. We're on the boat, he's there. We went snorkeling, he's there.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 River Baldwin\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"We go on the Jet Skis, he's there. We're on the boat, he's there. We went snorkeling, he's there.\" <br>\u2014 River Baldwin<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Players laugh when recounting these sayings. And they laugh at the moments when Moore jumps into the fun and lets himself be a kid with them, leaving behind any tensions from practice. That\u2019s a big part of why he\u2019s so popular with his players. He\u2019s on the Jet Ski with them when they travel. He\u2019s learning a new TikTok dance. When the team went to the Bahamas a couple of years back, he went down the waterslides and jumped off cliffs into the water. \u201cI feel like a lot of programs across the country have had coaches who will separate themselves,\u201d says former NC State player Baldwin. \u201cHe\u2019s just all about having fun and being involved with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"textAlign\":\"center\"} -->\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u2018What Can Make Me Feel This Way?\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget {\"alignment\":\"left\"} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default left-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"  \\u0022It's like pulling teeth to try to get him to try a new barbecue place.\\u0022 \\u003cbr\\u003e\u2014 Larry Carruth\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">  \"It's like pulling teeth to try to get him to try a new barbecue place.\" <br>\u2014 Larry Carruth<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Moore is certainly a creature of habit. \u201cThe old man just has a routine,\u201d says Baldwin. He has his go-tos: Large iced tea, lemons, extra ice. City Barbeque in Raleigh on Tuesday for half-priced ribs. Westerns playing in the background as he watches game film.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cHis favorite song is \u2018My Girl,\u2019\u201d says former star Collins, who now plays professionally overseas.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Moore joyously belts out the song in practices and at shootarounds. When he sings it, he makes a minor change: he adds an \u201cs.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cWhat can make me feel this way?\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cMy Girls\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>His \u201c15 daughters every year.\u201d His girls.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>His family.<br><br><br><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>Lead photography by Becky Kirkland, NC State.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6729} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6728} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:block {\"ref\":6699} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-ncst-separator\"\/>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/separator -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a career of countless wins and last year\u2019s Final Four run, Wes Moore\u2019s true legacy is family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":6599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/side-by-side-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"reynolds_400\",\"focalPoint\":{\"x\":0.52,\"y\":0.42},\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"subtitle\":\"In a career of countless wins and last year\u2019s Final Four run, Wes Moore\u2019s true legacy is family.\",\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"displayCategoryID\":0,\"image\":\"{\\\"alt\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"id\\\":6599,\\\"caption\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"url\\\":\\\"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WesLooksthruTrophy_72_RGBvertical-683x1024.jpg\\\"}\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9],"tags":[1330,109,126,1742,328,1745,1640,1746,1737,1747,1738,1734,645,1740,1741,1732,1733,1655,1744,969,1739,1735,1657,1140,1730,1251,1272,1743],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-6592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newswire","category-stories","tag-acc-tournament","tag-athletics","tag-basketball","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-debbie-yow","tag-doug-karnes","tag-final-four","tag-gary-blair","tag-gary-jones","tag-grant-allen","tag-johnson-bible-university","tag-katie-burrows","tag-kay-yow","tag-leah-onks-england","tag-linda-moore","tag-maryville-college","tag-mimi-collins","tag-ncaa-tournament","tag-nikki-west","tag-raina-perez","tag-randy-lambert","tag-river-baldwin","tag-saniya-rivers","tag-texas-rangers","tag-university-of-tennessee-at-chattanooga","tag-wes-moore","tag-wnba","tag-zamareya-jones"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6592"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6943,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6592\/revisions\/6943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6592"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=6592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}