WSU reportedly hires Montana's Justin Green as new RBs coach, Toledo's Derek Sage as WRs and special teams coach
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Jan. 5—PULLMAN — Kirby Moore's first coaching staff at Washington State is closer to completion.
The Cougars made two hires on Monday, according to reports. Their new running backs coach is Montana RBs coach Justin Green and their new wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator is Toledo's Justin Sage. Those appear to fill all position group coaches on the Cougars' new staff.
The news has yet to become official. Green's hire was reported by Skyline Sports and Sage's hire was reported by Bruce Feldman of the Athletic.
This likely means that Moore is not retaining Donnell Kirkwood Jr., WSU's running backs coach this fall, or Pat Cashmore, the Cougars' special teams coordinator this season. The team's wide receivers coach was Jake Menage, who has followed former coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State, where he is now the Cyclones' assistant WRs coach.
Green comes to WSU after 14 years at Montana, where this season he mentored running back Eli Gillman, who has enjoyed a monstrous past three seasons. This fall, he racked up 1,540 yards and 21 touchdowns on 250 carries, good for an average rush of 6.2 yards. Gillman earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year honors and landed on the conference's first team offense.
Listed at 6 feet and 208 pounds, Gillman still has one year of eligibility remaining. So it's hard not to wonder if Green could bring him along to WSU. If so, the Cougars could have quite the running back room, which already includes Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods, who both have re-signed with the Cougars.
A San Diego native, Green started his career in 2011 as a graduate assistant for Montana before becoming the Grizzlies' running backs coach and lead recruiter, a position he held since 2012. Green also helped develop top running backs like Nick Ostmo, Marcus Knight and Jordan Canada.
Ostmo became one of the best running backs in Montana's history, battling through injury to finish No. 5 on UM's all-time leading rusher list with 2,625 yards. Knight set new school records for rushing touchdowns (23) and points scored (150) in the 2019 season. And Canada is ranked fourth at Montana in career rushing yards (3,435) and rushing touchdowns (40).
For his part, Sage is no stranger to WSU. He spent the 2017 season as the Cougars' wide receivers coach under Mike Leach before taking a gig at UCLA for the following three seasons. Sage spent the 2022 and 2023 years at Nevada, working as offensive coordinator, and the 2024 and 2025 campaigns at Toledo, where he served as the Rockets' tight ends coach.
This season, Toledo's No. 3 receiver was tight end Jacob Petersen, who finished with 25 catches for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Sage, who previously worked as the Rockets' WRs coach from 2014-16, led a 2024 tight end room that featured senior Anthony Torres, who caught 31 passes for 404 yards. Torres was tied for third in the MAC with nine touchdown catches.
The rest of Moore's staff looks like this: Offensive coordinator/QBs coach Matt Miller, defensive coordinator/LBs coach Trent Bray, cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson, safeties coach Greg Burns, tight ends coach Durham Cato, offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie and defensive line coaches Andrew Browning and Eti Ena.
The Cougs will likely now fill out the staff with assistant position group coaches, GAs and the like.
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