Wisconsin Badgers Add ‘4Moore’ Patch in Honor of Family of Assistant Coach

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team will honor the late wife and daughter of assistant coach Howard Moore — who were tragically killed in a car accident last spring — by wearing a special uniform patch and shooting shirts with the phrase “Do Moore, Be Moore, 4 Moore” this season.

Moore, 49, and his family were traveling along an eastbound highway near Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the early morning hours of May 25 when they were struck head on by a driver in the wrong lane. He sustained third-degree burns, but his wife, Jennifer, 46; his daughter, Jaidyn, 9; and the other driver, Samantha Winchester, 23, were killed. Moore’s son, Jerell, 13, suffered only minor injuries.

Happy Mother’s Day to my outstanding wife, @queenjen29 and thank you for that you do for our family! #Blessed #MothersDay pic.twitter.com/wwsTsqbpAX
— Howard Moore (@Howard_Moore) May 12, 2019

“Howard is so much more than a colleague and coach,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said at the time. “He and Jen and their children are dear friends to everyone they meet. Their positivity and energy lift up those around them. We will miss Jen and Jaidyn dearly and we will put our arms around Howard and Jerell and the entire family, giving them love and support during this unspeakable time.”

Moore, a Chicago native, played for the Badgers from 1990-95. He was the head coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago before returning to his alma mater ahead of the 2015-16 season.

“I’ve known Howard ever since he was a student-athlete at Wisconsin and gotten to know his wonderful family through the years,” Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said. “He has always been an incredible representative of our athletic department and a positive influence on everyone around him. We are truly heart-broken for his family and will be doing everything possible to help him through this tragic time. Our prayers, love and support go out to the Moore and Barnes family.”

Moore is currently recovering in a long-term care and rehabilitation facility after suffering a heart attack in late June. He will not coach during the 2019-20 season.

The team recently paid Moore a visit, their first face-to-face meeting with their coach since the accident. He was reportedly upbeat and shared a special message with the Badgers, who were picked by the media to finish sixth in the Big Ten this season.

“It really embodies what coach Moore was always about,” senior guard Brevin Pritzl said. “Do Moore? How can you help other people? Be Moore? You have to stand for more. What you stand for has to mean something. He is always trying to help us grow as men and basketball players.”