Aiming to compete for big-time college football stakes, CSU made a huge hire on Wednesday.
The school announced that Jim Mora will take over the football program. Mora, who revived UConn over the past four seasons, will be introduced Monday afternoon in Fort Collins.
“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. “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.”
CSU athletic director John Weber made it clear that his goal is for the Rams to challenge for a spot in the college football playoff and that he believes the school has the resources to do so. Weber fired Jay Norvell on Oct. 19 after a disappointing 2-5 start, which saw the football team unable to build on last season’s bowl berth or provide a compelling product.
Mora, 64, brings a wealth of experience in college and the NFL. He revived the UConn program, guiding the Huskies to a 9-3 record this season and a pending third bowl berth in four years. Mora fits the profile in experience and resume CSU sought as it moves into the reshaped Pac-12 next season. Mora coached in the conference for UCLA, compiling a 46-30 record and four bowl berths from 2012-2017.
“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. “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.”
Mora featured an explosive offense this season in UConn with a 1,000-yard rusher (Camryn Edwards), 1,000-yard receiver (Skyler Bell) and an efficient quarterback (Joe Fagnano, 28 touchdowns, one interception). The Huskies finished the season on a four-game winning streak, including victories over Air Force and Duke.
Early Wednesday, UConn athletic director David Benedict issued a statement confirming that Mora was headed to Fort Collins.
“Jim Mora informed me late last night that he has accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State. We are grateful for Coach Mora’s contributions to UConn over the past four seasons,” Benedict said.
“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. We thank Jim for his dedication to our student-athletes and wish him, his wife Kathy and his family the best at Colorado State.”
Mora is the son of longtime NFL boss Jim Mora, who coached the Saints and Colts. Peyton Manning was his quarterback during his final four seasons in Indianapolis.
Mora, whose hiring was first reported by ESPN late Tuesday night, brings Colorado connections. He lived in Boulder for part of his youth and expressed interest in the CU job after Mel Tucker bolted for Michigan State.
The changing college landscape doomed Norvell in Fort Collins. With the school wanting to at least match or improve on last season’s 8-5 season, the Rams sputtered in September as veteran starting quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi slumped. He was eventually benched and later left the school. It did not help Norvell when CSU looked overmatched against future conference opponent Washington State in an ugly 20-3 home loss on Sept. 27.
The hope is that Mora can bring stability and success to a CSU program that wants to reap the rewards of an on-campus stadium that opened in 2017.
Since that time, CSU has had three coaches — Mike Bobo, Steve Addazio, Norvell. All posted losing records, finishing a combined 23 games under .500.
Mora received a four-year, $10-million extension at UConn in December of 2024. Norvell made $1.9 million this season, and was owned a $1.5 million buyout from CSU, per terms of his contract.
Mora is known in coaching circles for his energy and confidence. He brought UConn back to life, now he appears ready to embrace the challenge of restoring glory to CSU.
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