Jim L. Mora, who has been the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, and UCLA Bruins, has accepted the job as the new head coach of the UConn Huskies.
It’s a reclamation project on all sides as Mora attempts to rebuild his reputation as a head coach and UConn tries to remake itself from the ashes following the end of Randy Edsall’s tumultuous second stint with the program.
Why did Jim Mora take the UConn job? He explains to @YahooSports: “I can’t wait for the day that people say to me, instead of, ‘Why would you go to UConn?’ they say, ‘I understand why you went to UConn.'" https://t.co/03suYRLm4S
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 11, 2021
“I can’t wait for the day that people say to me, instead of, ‘Why would you go to UConn?’ they say, ‘I understand why you went to UConn,'” Mora told Yahoo! Sports.
It’s Mora’s first head-coaching gig since he was fired from UCLA in 2017. The 59-year-old compiled a 46-30 record in six seasons there, including four bowl game appearances. Before that, Mora was 26-22 in three seasons with the Falcons and 5-11 in one disastrous season with the Seahawks. He had been working as a color analyst for ESPN’s college football coverage.
UConn is in the midst of another disastrous season. They currently stand at 1-8 and have to face the Clemson Tigers this weekend. The independent program has fallen sharply since its Big East championship and Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2010, failing to garner a winning record in any season since.
Mora will join the coaching staff now as an assistant coach and then take over as head coach on Nov. 28 once the regular season is complete.
The college football world has some strong reactions on Twitter to the hiring.
The Seahawks fired Jim Mora in 2009 with 3 years left on his contract, so he just collected paychecks for those 3 years and didn’t coach again until 2012. Then UCLA fired him with 4 years left in 2017, so now he's getting a job again.
Folks, this is how you live life
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 11, 2021
is anyone else laughing hysterically at jim mora being the new head coach at uconn or is it just me
— charles (redzone 9-0) mcdonald (@FourVerts) November 11, 2021
UConn's new Head Coach Jim Mora, calling a UConn game in 2019.
"Now that's friggin' disaster, right there"
Good luck coach! pic.twitter.com/2rL54F2Mbl
— Joe (@therealestJPL) November 11, 2021
Jim Mora Jr. went 46-30 as UCLA's coach and if he does 2/3rds as well at UConn he'll be the most successful coach in UConn football history.
— UConn football endurer (@NoEscalators) November 11, 2021
Mora has his work cut out for him, especially given the recruiting challenges that UConn presents and his lack of experience recruiting in the northeast. But if he can at least find a way to return to the Huskies to mediocrity, he will have found success in his fresh start.
[Yahoo!]
