Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore.
HAMDEN, Conn. — You’re probably saying, “Who?”
Moore is the man who spent 13 years at the University of Connecticut as an assistant coach before taking the job at Quinnipiac in 2007. He was a hot name to take a number of jobs, many out of the state of Connecticut. It’s believed he stayed in the Nutmeg State not only because of the prospect of turning the Bobcats into a powerhouse in the Northeast Conference, but the chance to stay local and keep his family in the same house.
And being within shouting distance of UConn, of course.
Last night, Moore’s Bobcats lost their game of tug-of-Tournament with Robert Morris, which became the first NEC team since Rider in 1994 to reach The Dance in back-to-back seasons. (I have a post on the Colonials’ win up at The Dagger.) RMU won 52-50 after James Feldeine’s would-be game-winning 3-point shot was deflected by Dallas Green.
After the shot-gone-awry came back down and deflected off of the Bobcats’ Jonathan Cruz’s leg, Quinnipac’s chances to dance had about expired. Moore nervously flicked his finger against his chin as Karon Abraham shot two free throws in the final seconds. Abraham went 0 for 2, but the half-court desperation heave from James Johnson wasn’t even flirtatious enough to hit the backboard, yet alone the rim.
The loss may have aged Moore a year in a night’s time, but the years he’s spent around the college game hasn’t started to show on Moore’s face or body language at all. Although he’s 45, he looks a decade younger. He admitted to crying in the locker room with his players afterward. Though he knows the feeling a dozen times over, he doesn’t know it as a head coach. Moore and his team will have to wait another year for a chance to experience the NCAA Tournament.
In programs he’s been a part of, whether head or assistant, Moore”s won at a 70 percent clip.
There were no questions about Moore’s thoughts about Connecticut, Jim Calhoun or a possible job opening. He didn’t deflect any, because the pool of writers that was about 20 deep didn’t address it. Coming off the most agonizing loss of his head-coaching career, it was neither the time nor place. Especially after Calhoun stated he would be back to coach the team after he signs a contract in the offseason. But the implications in the room lingered. There were questions about how proud Moore was in getting Quinnipiac from the NEC cellar to the title game in three years. Moore spoke about what he’s done with this program in glowing terms and with a tone of voice that suggested he wasn’t done (I know: what else is new).
By doing so, he hearkened back to a similar situation, albeit it being on the Robert Morris side of it. He referenced a quote by Jay Wright after UConn beat a young Villanova in 2004,
“I remember Jay saying something like, ‘We’re not quite ready to beat them,’” Moore said. “I don’t if I feel that way with this team, because I did feel we were going to win the game all night. It is another step. Last year built a ton of character, sitting there with six scholarship players and stuck at eight wins.”
As his bio states, Moore helped recruit and/or coach “Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay, Caron Butler, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Jake Voskuhl, Kevin Ollie, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone.” An impressive list for sure.
In programs he’s been a part of, whether head or assistant, Moore”s won at a 70 percent clip. He’s coached and grinded (like so many guys you aren’t aware of) at the Division II level. He won there, too. He was a head coach at the age of 24. What we have here is an alpha, and he’s not going to be the head coach at Quinnipiac come 2015, I promise you.
“What we’ve been able to do here is something I knew we could do in a short amount of time,” Moore said. “And I don’t want to sound cocky, I’m just a very confident guy.”
It didn’t sound cocky at all. It was matter-of-fact. Notice to the rest of the NEC: We’re not going anywhere so long as I’m here and recruiting and out-recruiting with the rest of you.
Losing last night may have gotten him the Connecticut job … eventually.
The thought is Moore would be the guy to take over the UConn program if Jeff Calhoun approved the move. According to the close-to-the-program beat writers last night, the younger Calhoun is a big fan of Moore. More and more, Moore is becoming the most obvious choice. He knows the program, he’s a stone’s throw from Storrs and has proven he can recruit and win when the responsibility falls on his shoulders.
Losing last night may have gotten him the Connecticut job … eventually. Think about if Quinnipiac had won. Suddenly, the school’s on the national stage. Four or five schools — including St. John’s, which is ready to kick Norm Roberts out of his office any second now — take a flyer on Moore and bring him in for an interview. He’s the “hot” coach. The young, energetic guy who’s quickly moving up in the ranks and took a team to The Tournament.
But now Quinnipiac will be in the NIT. It may win a game or two, then fade into the offseason. Moore may get contacted here or there, but I suspect the search parties won’t be as heavy as if Feldeine’s shot hadn’t been deflected last night.
I don’t know Moore well, but going by the word of those who do, Connecticut is the job he wants. The pain of the loss is probably still in Moore’s chest this morning, but the long-term benefit may be that he’s kept at Quinnipiac for the next two, three, four years before getting the call for the big interview at the program he helped turn into a national power.
Whether or not UConn goes with a big name or an in-house guy is another question, another matter, for another time. But in three years, Moore’s proven he’s worthy, at the absolute least, to be in the running.
