The coaching staff shuffle continues for Western Kentucky’s football team.

On Wednesday, Baylor announced the hiring of former WKU defensive line coach Carson Hall as that school’s new outside linebackers coach.

Also Wednesday, ESPN writer Pete Thamel reported current WKU offensive coordinator Will Friend is expected to finalize a deal to join new North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick’s staff as offensive line coach. Friend joined the WKU prior to last season after serving as the offensive line coach at Mississippi State in 2023.

Friend worked in the same role at Auburn from 2021-22 and at Tennessee from 2018-20. He was the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Colorado State from 2015-17 and the offensive line coach at Georgia from 2011-14.

Hall, who spent two seasons at WKU, was promoted to run game coordinator in addition to his duties as the Hilltoppers’ defensive line coach earlier this month.

Hall came to WKU after helping Georgia to its back-to-back national championships. There, Hall served as an assistant defensive line coach. Before joining the staff at Georgia, Hall had a brief stop at LSU where he spent the 2021 spring season with the Tigers as an assistant defensive line coach. Before joining LSU, he was a graduate assistant at Illinois from 2019-20.

Hall started his coaching career at Valdosta State, where he was an assistant working with the team’s outside linebackers.

Also Wednesday, ESPN writer Pete Thamel reported current WKU offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Will Friend is expected to finalize a deal to join new North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick’s staff as offensive line coach. Friend joined the WKU prior to last season after serving as the offensive line coach at Mississippi State in 2023.

Friend worked in the same role at Auburn from 2021-22 and at Tennessee from 2018-20. He was the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Colorado State from 2015-17 and the offensive line coach at Georgia from 2011-14.

This past season at WKU, Friend helped the Hilltoppers produce Conference USA’s top passing attack averaging 264.6 yards per game. The Tops, who reached the CUSA Championship game after going 6-2 in conference play, averaged 24.9 points per game (fourth in CUSA) and 373.5 yards of total offense per game (third in CUSA).

Thamel reported Wednesday that WKU senior analyst Grant Chestnut is expected to be hired as Colorado State’s new tight ends coach. Chestnut spent this past season at on WKU coach Tyson Helton’s staff after serving as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Navy in 2023. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Kennesaw State since 2014.

MOORE HEADS TO VEGAS

Former WKU wide receiver Koy Moore has signed with UNLV, the school announced Wednesday.

Moore spent one season with the Hilltoppers. The native of Kenner, Louisiana, appeared in three games and totaled two receptions for 27 yards this past season for the Hilltoppers.

Moore arrived at WKU after spending two seasons at Auburn and the two before that at LSU.