For ten years, Howard Moore bounced around basketball programs in the Midwest, but the first-year Wisconsin men's assistant coach has finally returned home to a place reconstructed drastically since he was a player for the Badgers from 1990 to 1995.
'It feels good, really good to be back,' said Moore, who graduated from Wisconsin in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in African-American Studies. 'Ten years ago, a lot of stuff has changed. I don't have to fight the bats in the Field House anymore. I love the new Kohl Center. Everything has evolved and it is amazing how far basketball has come.'
Before he began his coaching career, Moore was lured to Madison via Taft High School in Chicago, Ill., as a highly-recruited low-post prep star. He played in 47 games for the Badgers, including 21 as a senior and represented the Big Ten by touring Argentina with a group of league all-stars in 1994.
Yet during Moore's tenure with UW, he played under three different head coaches (Steve Yoder, Stu Jackson and Stan Van Gundy) and was a part of just one team that produced a winning season (1994) in five years. Overall, the general state of Badger athletics was not on par with the today's expectations.
'I can remember the football games my first year,' said Moore, who arrived on campus the same year Barry Alvarez took over the UW football program. 'You could lay down in the bleachers and watch the game if you wanted. To see where things are now, it is just unbelievable. Wisconsin athletics and this University as a whole'??it has just really evolved in such a positive direction,' he said.
Moore works primarily with the Badger post players and during practice, gets an up-close view of the competition by playing with the scout team.
'It's not as fun anymore because they beat me up now and I'm starting to feel the aches and pains of a 33-year-old man,' Moore said with a smile. 'But it is a blast to be out there and compete. And at the same time, I can coach and work with those guys first hand.'
The dedication shown by Moore during practice coupled with his work off the court has earned him the respect of the players just a few months into the season.
'The kids respect you because you are out there sweating and working hard with them. So yeah, it's great to be out,' Moore said.
After stints at the University of Chicago, Bradley, Ball State and most recently with Loyola-Chicago handling off-campus recruiting, it appears Moore has found a place where he can stay grounded.
'No question, this is a destination spot for me,' Moore said. 'I have been at programs where there are ties but nothings as strong as this. To be at a place like Wisconsin, a place where I went to school and I love tremendously, this is a place where I want to set my roots for along time.'
