Jim Mora, who resurrected a struggling football program at UConn, has accepted the head coaching job at Colorado State.
UConn athletic director David Benedict confirmed Mora’s departure in a statement released Wednesday morning.
“We are grateful for Coach Mora’s contributions to UConn over the past four seasons,” Benedict said. “He took on the challenge of rebuilding our football program and delivered results that exceeded expectations. … Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put our program back on the national stage.”
Mora’s teams went 27-23 over four seasons, including a 9-3 mark in 2025, giving the Huskies back-to-back nine-win campaigns for the first time in program history. The Huskies have qualified for the bowl games three times, including this season, and are looking for their first-ever 10-win season.
Before Mora arrived in Storrs, Conn., the Huskies had won 10 games in their previous five seasons combined.
At Colorado State, Mora, 64, will replace Jay Norvell, who was fired Oct. 19 after a loss to Hawaii, leaving the Rams with a 2-5 record. Norvell had an overall record of 18-26.
Mora signed a four-year contract extension with UConn last December through the 2028 season, which would have paid him just over $10 million.
Colorado State has not yet confirmed the move, so no contract details were available Wednesday morning.
At the time of Norvell’s firing, Colorado State athletic director John Weber said the Rams needed new direction.
“As we prepare to join the Pac-12 Conference next year, we must position our program to compete at the highest level,” he said. “While we have seen progress, a change in direction is necessary to achieve the sustained excellence our program demands.
“We continue to invest and work hard to ensure the football program and next head coach have the resources necessary to capitalize on this historic opportunity.”
Under interim head coach Tyson Summers, the Rams have lost four straight games. They will finish their season Saturday against Air Force.
At UConn, offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis was named interim head coach. The school’s statement said a national search for Mora’s successor would begin immediately.
Mora was previously the head coach of UCLA and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. His overall coaching record is 73-53 in college and 31-33 in the NFL.
–Field level media
