Colorado State University names Jim Mora new head football coach
The Colorado State Rams have a new football coach, former University of Connecticut Huskies coach Jim Mora, CSU announced on Wednesday.
The news comes just over a month after the Rams fired former head coach Jay Norvell, who went 2-5 this season and 18-26 overall with the Rams, including a 13-13 mark in the Mountain West Conference.
"I would like to thank President Amy Parsons, Director of Athletics John Weber, and all those involved for providing Kathy and me this very special opportunity," Mora said in a statement released by CSU on Wednesday. "I am truly humbled to join CSU as we transition to the Pac-12 Conference. 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."
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.
In Connecticut, he also brought the Huskies to three bowl games, winning two of them.
"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.
He boasts 35 years of coaching experience, the last three at UConn, UCLA from 2012 to 17, the Seattle Seahawks in 2009, and the Atlanta Falcons from 2004 to 2006.
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.
"Our goal from the very start was to execute a comprehensive search to find the next leader of the Colorado State football program," Weber said in a statement on Wednesday. "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. I could not be more excited to welcome Jim and his wife Kathy to CSU and Fort Collins."
School officials will introduce Mora to the media and the public at a news conference on Monday.
