UConn football coach Jim Mora has accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State, a statement from UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict confirmed Wednesday morning.
Mora led the Huskies’ football program along one of the more impressive rebuilds in the sport, reaching bowl eligibility three times in his four years at the helm. The Huskies’ 9-3 finish in 2025 marked the first time they ever won nine games in back-to-back seasons.
Offensive Coordinator Gordie Sammis will lead the team on an interim basis, and is expected to coach the upcoming bowl game, while the athletic department immediately begins a national search for UConn’s next head coach.
Benedict released a statement shortly after the news broke from ESPN’s Pete Thamel:
“Jim Mora informed me late last night that he has accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State,” Benedict’s statement read. “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. 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,” Benedict continued. “We thank Jim for his dedication to our student-athletes and wish him, his wife Kathy and his family the best at Colorado State,” it continued. “We now turn our attention to finding the right leader to build on the foundation that has been established and continue moving UConn football forward. Offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will lead the team in the interim as a national search for the next head coach at the University of Connecticut will begin immediately.”
Before Mora arrived, UConn football had been to just one bowl game in its previous 11 seasons. He leaves with a 27-23 record over four seasons, including the 2024 Fenway Bowl.
The move comes while Colorado State is preparing a move to the Pac-12.
Mora spent decades coaching in the NFL with head coaching stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks before moving to the college level as the head coach at UCLA, where he went 46-30 over six seasons (2012-17). He took some time off from coaching after being fired by the Bruins and coached his first season at UConn in 2022, leading the team to the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Mora has often credited his NFL experience for his understanding of how to navigate the current age of college football with NIL and the transfer portal.
Sammis, taking over in an interim role, was a widely-respected offensive line coach who came to UConn in Mora’s first season. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2024 and has led the program to two of its best offensive seasons ever.