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11/26 13:34 CST Colorado State hires Jim Mora away from UConn as it prepares
for transition to Pac-12
Colorado State hires Jim Mora away from UConn as it prepares for transition to
Pac-12
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) --- Jim Mora built UConn into a winning program. Now
he will try to do the same at Colorado State.
Colorado State announced Wednesday that it had hired Mora, who has led UConn to
nine wins each of the last two seasons. Now the former Seattle Seahawks and
UCLA coach is heading west again to help Colorado State adjust to its move to
the Pac-12 next year.
"I am truly humbled to join CSU as we transition to the Pac-12 Conference,"
Mora said in a statement released by the university. "I am excited to meet the
team and look forward to connecting with the former players. I can't wait for
our family to become part of the northern Colorado community."
Colorado State has scheduled an introductory news conference for Monday.
"Our goal from the very start was to execute a comprehensive search to find the
next leader of the Colorado State football program," Colorado State athletic
director John Weber said in a statement. "We did that, and it was extremely
energizing to have such significant interest from so many accomplished coaches.
From our very first conversation, Coach Mora's desire to serve
student-athletes, his comprehensive experience, and passion to win was evident."
The 64-year-old Mora, who spent four seasons as an NFL head coach with the
Atlanta Falcons and Seahawks, produced a 27-23 record in four years at UConn.
The Huskies are 9-3 this season, and each of their three losses went to
overtime.
"Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put
our program back on the national stage," UConn athletic director David Benedict
said. "We thank Jim for his dedication to our student-athletes and wish him,
his wife Kathy and his family the best at Colorado State."
Benedict said offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis is taking over as interim
head coach while UConn conducts a national search for Mora's permanent
successor.
Colorado State fired Jay Norvell on Oct. 19. Norvell was in his fourth season
and owned an 18-26 record, including an 8-5 mark and an Arizona Bowl appearance
last year.
That 8-5 mark last year represented Colorado State's first winning season since
2017.
The Rams were 2-5 when Norvell got fired and have lost all four games since
with defensive coordinator Tyson Summers working as their interim head coach.
Colorado State (2-9) closes its season Friday at Air Force (3-8).
Colorado State has been part of the Mountain West Conference but will join the
new version of the Pac-12 this summer. Mora had coached in a Pac-12 that looked
dramatically different during his years at UCLA.
Mora's stint at UConn represented a career comeback. He posted a 46-30 record
at UCLA from 2012-17 and then was out of coaching and working as a television
analyst until UConn hired him.
UConn went 6-7 and 3-9 in Mora's first two seasons before going 18-7 over the
last two seasons. The Huskies went 9-4 and won the Fenway Bowl last year for
their first bowl victory since the 2009 season.
Mora went 26-22 as the Falcons' head coach from 2004-06 and was 5-11 with the
Seahawks in 2009.
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