Tom Moore went through the normal self-examination period after losing his job as Quinnipiac men's basketball head coach in March.

He was unsure of his next move, but was in a good spot financially so there was no need to rush into anything.

"When I got let go, you start to think, OK, what are you going to do next?" Moore said. "You take some stock in your career and where you see yourself. ... My instinct was to go back. I figured let me think about who I could envision myself working for, who do I have relationships with and who I respect a lot."

The first coach that Moore called: Rhode Island coach Danny Hurley.

Moore will join Hurley's staff as an assistant coach, officially beginning next month.

It's a good fit for Moore, who wanted to stay in the Northeast where he's well-connected in the basketball community. He's known Hurley for 15 years. He coached against him during Hurley's days as Wagner's head coach and followed his career at URI.

Moore reached out to Hurley earlier this spring and ended up spending time at URI observing off-season workouts and becoming familiar with the Rams, who won the Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA tournament game last season.

"I love what he's done with the program," Moore said. "And I'm not surprised what he's done with the program. ... Danny is one of the best young coaches not only in the northeast but the country."

Hurley reminds Moore of another head coach — Jim Calhoun.

Moore spent 13 successful years on the Calhoun's staff in Storrs and helped the Huskies capture two national championships.

"They both have very similar demeanors in terms of intensity and feistiness," Moore said. "They both make it like a 365 day a year fight. I see a lot of (Calhoun) in Danny and that gets me excited because I saw how that can be good when you have a guy leading the program that has that personality."

g.keefe@theday.com