Colorado State to reportedly hire UConn's Jim Mora as new head coach

Colorado State to reportedly hire UConn's Jim Mora as new head coach originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Colorado State is expected to hire UConn’s Jim Mora as its next head football coach, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. The move comes as the Rams prepare to transition to the Pac-12.

Mora, 64, arrives in Fort Collins after back-to-back nine-win seasons at UConn. The program’s first such streak since 2007. He guided the Huskies to three bowl appearances in his four seasons, which is a stark contrast to one bowl bid in the 11 years before his hiring.

Mora's team is currently 9-3 with a 2-1 record against ACC opponents, highlighted by wins over Duke and Boston College. UConn’s three losses all came in overtime, with no regulation defeats.

The veteran coach will become CSU’s fourth head coach since 2019, following churn through Mike Bobo, Steve Addazio and Jay Norvell. The school fired Norvell last month midway through his fourth season. Since 2017, Colorado State has reached only one bowl game and has been dominated in the Rocky Mountain Showdown by in-state Colorado.

In fact, Mora's father, Jim Mora Sr., had a stint at CSU's rival starting in the mid-60s under head coach Eddie Crowder. The Colorado connection puts his younger days in Boulder. This will also put Deion Sanders against Mora in the RMS in 2029, if both coaches are still at their respective schools.

Mora boasts a 73-53 college head coaching record over 10 seasons, including six years at UCLA, where he won eight or more games in four of six seasons. He also led NFL franchises in Seattle and Atlanta beginning in 2004 after nearly 20 years on NFL staffs as a coordinator and assistant.

Colorado State enters the Pac-12 next season, giving new athletic director John Weber a big-name hire to pair with expanded financial ambition.

CSU opened its $200 million-plus Canvas Stadium in the heart of campus in 2017.