UW assistant Moore to enter long-term care facility
Coach who suffered severe burns, lost two family members in crash won’t return to program this year
MADISON – University of Wisconsin men’s basketball assistant Howard Moore, who lost his wife and daughter and suffered severe burns in an auto accident in May, will not be rejoining the program for the 2019-20 season, and his status beyond that remains uncertain.
UW officials released a statement from the Moore family Monday:
“University of Wisconsin men’s basketball assistant coach Howard Moore recently experienced a medical issue at his Madison area home that required ... transportation to a local hospital. During the transportation to the hospital, Howard underwent cardiac arrest and has been receiving care by the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital.
“Howard will now be moving to a long-term care and rehabilitation facility to continue the focus on his recovery and health. He will not coach during the upcoming 2019-20 season.
“The Moore Family greatly appreciates the outpouring of love and support from the greater Madison and Chicago communities, the Badgers and Big Ten families and all whose lives Howard and his family have touched. Please continue to keep Howard and his son, Jerell, in your prayers.”
According to a UW official, head coach Greg Gard is in the process of evaluating how to replace Moore for the 2019-20 season.
The accident occurred on May 25 near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Moore family vehicle was struck head-on by a wrong way driver on M-14. Moore’s daughter, Jaidyn, died at the scene. His wife, Jennifer, who was driving, was taken to University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor but was taken off life support later that day and died. Jerell was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and was released May 28.
The wrong-way driver who caused the crash was identified as 23-year-old Samantha Winchester of Ann Arbor. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez told the Journal Sentinel that UW will provide Moore as much financial support as possible.
“Those are things we’ll work out with HR (Human Resources),” Alvarez said. “We are looking into that — every possible thing that we can do. It is a tragedy, but we’ll figure it out. And we’ll do as much as we possibly can do to support his son.
“We’re going to take care of him.” Howard Moore suffered third-degree
“We are looking into that — every possible thing that we can do . ... We’re going to take care of him.”
Barry Alvarez UW athletic director
burns but was eventually released and was back home in Madison on June 8.
He appeared to be recovering until June 25, when he was rushed to University of Wisconsin Hospital. He has been in the intensive care unit.
Alvarez acknowledged the tragedy has scarred Gard and his staff.
“That is a very close-knit staff,” Alvarez said. “People have kids about the same age. The wives were really close. We had to get support for that whole staff and the athletes. Because Howard was close to a lot of people.
“Who is ready to deal with anything like that? It is hard to deal with.”
Alvarez recalls visiting Moore in the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor shortly after the accident.
“It was really an emotional rollercoaster,” he said. “I took a number of coaches with me. Howard was crying. Then he gets you laughing. Then he relives the night.
“Then he is so proud of his son and how strong he was. Then it gets back to how much he loves Wisconsin.
“It was very emotional.” Moore, a native of Chicago, played at Wisconsin from 1990 to 1995 for three coaches — Steve Yoder, Stu Jackson and Stan Van Gundy.
He was an assistant at several stops before returning to UW in 2005 under Bo Ryan. Moore stayed on through the 2009-10 season. He left to take over the Illinois-Chicago program and coached there for five seasons.
He was a studio analyst for the Big Ten Network in December 2015 when Ryan announced he was retiring. Greg Gard hired Moore to finish out that season, and Moore has remained on the staff since then.
This is a guy who, while sitting in the hospital, was still thinking about how to make the community better… Howard is the epitome of what a family should look like.” Michael Johnson CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Dane County
Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, grew up with Moore in Chicago.
“Me and Howard grew up in one of the toughest public housing developments in the United States,” Johnson said. “They called it the Village. It was a high rise. Over the last few years I really got to know Howard’s family, his wife and his kids. His wife was the same age as my wife. Kids the same age. He is just an unbelievable guy.”
Like Alvarez, Johnson was able to visit Moore in Michigan.
“Every time I went to the hospital to see him he would share with me what happened to his family,” Johnson said. “I said: ‘Howard, we don’t have to talk about that.’
“He said: ‘I’ve got to get it off my chest.’
“He’d talk for 20 minutes. And then right after talking about what happened, he started talking about the community and how we need to help kids. This is a guy who, while sitting in the hospital, was still thinking about how to make the community better… Howard is the epitome of what a family should look like. He is a special guy.”