Wisconsin honored former assistant coach Howard Moore with a moving tribute Saturday as he made his first appearance at the Kohl Center since a 2019 car wreck that killed his wife and daughter. Moore, who played for the Badgers from 1991 to 1995, was seriously injured in the accident, which rocked the Wisconsin program.
Numerous members of Moore's family and many of his former Wisconsin teammates were on hand for the occasion, which featured a tribute video followed by a sustained standing ovation for Moore as former teammate Rashard Griffith wheeled him to midcourt. Badgers players wore warmup shirts emblazoned with Moore's No. 34 and the words "Be Moore Do Moore 4 Moore." The coaching staff sported ties bearing the same motto.
The accident occurred early on the morning of May 25, 2019, when an intoxicated motorist traveling the wrong way on a Michigan highway collided with the Moore's vehicle. Moore's son, Jerell, survived the accident. Howard Moore later suffered a cardiac incident stemming from his injuries in the accident.
Moore played under Wisconsin coaches Steve Yoder, Stu Jackson and Stan Van Gundy during his career before returning as an assistant in 2005 under Bo Ryan for five seasons. After five years as the head coach at Illinois-Chicago, he returned to the Wisconsin staff in 2015 to work under Ryan and then Greg Gard.
For the first time since 2019 when a car accident claimed the lives of his wife and daughter, former @BadgerMBB assistant coach Howard Moore returns to the Kohl Center. pic.twitter.com/i4RM7tU1yD
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 2, 2024
Griffith, who was an all-Big Ten performer in 1995, has taken an active role in Moore's life since the accident and wrote last month about the impact that the tragedy has had on their lives.
"I made a promise to Howard and I made a promise to God that I was going to see my brother back on his feet," Griffith wrote. "Anything I can do that's in my power, I'll do it. This experience changed me in terms of appreciating the moments that we have together, the people in our lives. A tragedy like that puts things in perspective. You can be here one second and gone the next. I'm thankful that God blessed me with the strength to be able to do this task that he's asked me to do."
