As the college football world waits on Lane Kiffin’s decision, another coaching domino is reportedly falling on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
According to UConn athletic director David Benedict, Jim Mora is leaving the Huskies to take the open head coaching position at Colorado State. The Rams have yet to announce Mora’s hiring.
‘We are grateful for Coach Mora’s contributions to UConn over the past four seasons. He took on the challenge of rebuilding our football program and delivered results that exceeded expectations,’ Benedict said in a statement shared on X. ‘Under his leadership, the Huskies won 27 games and achieved bowl eligibility in three of his four seasons, including back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in program history.
‘Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put our program back on the national stage.’
UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will serve as UConn’s interim coach, Benedict said.
Before Mora took the UConn job in 2022, the Huskies had not won nine games since 2007. Following a 9-16 mark in his first two seasons, Mora has led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2024 and 2025.
In 2025, the Huskies went 9-3, which included wins over ACC foes in Boston College and Duke. All three of UConn’s defeats this season came in overtime.
Colorado State ― which fired Jay Norvell on Oct. 19 ― is joining the Pac-12 next season and looking for stability after cycling through three different head coaches since 2019 in Mike Bobo, Steve Addazio and Norvell.
Mora, 64, has a career 73-53 record as a head coach across 10 seasons. He served as the UCLA head coach from 2012 to 2017, posting a 46-30 record across six seasons, including eight wins or more in four of those years.
His career has also included stints as an NFL head coach with the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and the Seattle Seahawks (2009), as well as various assistant coaching positions in college and the NFL.
Mora is the third hire of the cycle. Oklahoma State announced the hiring of North Texas football coach Eric Morris on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the second coaching hiring of the 2025 coaching carousel. James Franklin was introduced as the Virginia Tech head coach on Nov. 19.
Jim Mora Jr. coaching record
2012: UCLA, 9-5 (Holiday Bowl)
2013: UCLA, 10-3 (Sun Bowl)
2014: UCLA, 10-3 (Alamo Bowl)
2015: UCLA, 8-5 (Foster Farms Bowl)
2016: UCLA, 4-8
2017: UCLA, 5-6
2022: UConn, 6-7 (Myrtle Beach Bowl)
2023: UConn, 3-9
2024: UConn, 9-4 (Fenway Bowl)
2025: UConn, 9-3
Overall record: 73-53 (.579)
Jim Mora Jr. age
Jim Mora Jr. turned 64 on Nov. 19.
Jim Mora Jr. contract
UConn was paying Jim Mora Jr. $2,169,000 this past season.
