By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Connecticut Huskies have hired Jim Mora as their new head football coach. The former NFL and college coach will attempt to turn around the struggling program.
He is the 32nd head coach in program history. Mora was announced as the new head coach on Thursday.
Mora will serve as an assistant coach for the team through the rest of the season. He will then become the official head coach on November 28th.
“Getting to know Jim Mora over the last several days has been a terrific experience,” Huskies Director of Athletics David Benedict said. “Jim is a proven winner, a man of integrity, and he possesses the experience and the energy to lead our football program back to success. Jim is excited and undaunted by this challenge, and we both know that this program has great potential. I’m certain that, under Coach Mora’s leadership, UConn football will once again realize that potential.”
He has received a five-year deal that runs through the 2026 season. He will be paid $1.5 million in his first season.
With performance incentives, he could receive an additional $200,000 per season.
The 59-year-old has been out of coaching since the 2017 season. He is 46-30 as a college football coach.
He spent six seasons leading the UCLA Bruins from 2012 through 2017.
Mora had four winning seasons at the school. However, he guided the Bruins to a 9-14 record.
“I am impressed by Coach Mora’s tremendous wealth of experience and achievement professionally and in intercollegiate football,” says UConn’s interim president Andrew Agwunobi. “He is a true coach on- and off-the-field, and that degree of dedication will greatly benefit our student-athletes in his charge. I enthusiastically join UConn Nation in welcoming him to Storrs and look forward to his leadership of our program in the years ahead.”
He also spent four seasons as an NFL head coach. He previously led the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons.
Mora was 31-33 with the two NFL teams.
