Connecticut's Tom Moore interest in USF job

During a phone conversation with Connecticut associate head coach Tom Moore, he expressed interest in South Florida’s vacant coaching position.

Here’s the conversation in its entirety.

Oracle: Have you spoke with anyone from South Florida?

Tom Moore: No, not me directly, no. They made some phone calls early in the process to our athletic director. But I haven’t spoken with USF yet.

O: Have you been paying attention to the rumors (at USF)?

TM: Yeah, I heard (Winthrop’s) Gregg Marshall is no longer a candidate and that (John) Pelfrey (of South Alabama) is no longer a candidate. I’m not sure how much truth there is to that.

O: Are you at all interested in USF?

TM: Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely.

O: Can you talk about the potential of remaining in the Big East?

TM: I think any Big East job is a coveted job because of the history of the league on the national landscape. I think South Florida has great untapped potential because of the region of the country and the recruiting base. All those things make it an attractive job and I’m definitely interested in it.

O: What would it be like to establish a legacy here as opposed to becoming a coach at a place like Connecticut?

TM: Any time you get an opportunity where you get a chance to put your own stamp – it’s a unique challenge. With South Florida being new to the league and not having a Big East identity yet, I think whoever is fortunate enough to get the job has a real neat opportunity to put their own stamp on the program. I mean, in terms of the style of play and hopefully establishing a winning tradition within the league.

O: What is the interest in coming to USF as opposed to some of the previous offers you received?

TM: I think on a broader base it’s more about being a head coach in general. I’ve been blessed to be at a great program learning under a Hall of Fame coach (Jim Calhoun) who has won two national championship and been fortunate to work with so many future NBA players; it’s been an incredible learning experience here. I feel ready to go back to being a head coach. I’ve had opportunities to really look at some outstanding situations. The opportunities and potential at South Florida speak for themselves, actually.

O: Are you ready for a change of scenery down in Florida, maybe?

TM: Yeah, I mean my wife and I are up for anything if it’s a good situation, to be honest with you. I think the neat thing that UConn has afforded me is to meet people from all over the country because of the outstanding reputation of the program. It’s allowed me to build relationships with high school and AAU coaches from all over. We’ve been successful in recruiting from down south. We had Rashand Anderson, who I recruited from Lakeland High School. He helped us win a national championship and was a 1,000-point scorer for us. I think it could be a fit.

O: What impressions did you have from your previous visit to USF (on March 1, 2006)?

TM: We were only down there for a short amount of time. But it was very attractive and in a nice area. The facilities were nice and I think the weather and the climate are going to be attractive to a lot of kids. I think that’s a big part of the intriguing package.

— Brendan Galella