In North Carolina’s mountains, a football coach named Jerry Moore led Appalachian State to new heights two decades ago.

Now 84, Moore coached the Mountaineers from 1989-2012 and built a dynasty in Boone, N.C. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he directed the Mountaineers all the way to the top of the mountain, winning three straight national titles at the FCS level. Those were the first three NCAA football championships any institution from the state of North Carolina had won, at any level.

Moore also coached the Mountaineers to arguably the most famous upset in college football history — a 34-32 win against No. 5 Michigan, in the 2007 season opener. Moore earned his way into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

In this interview, Moore talked about all of those championships, the brilliance of star quarterback Armanti Edwards and the upset in Ann Arbor, as well as making peace with his difficult departure from Appalachian State after the 2012 season and why he again fully embraces the program today. 

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends.

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