University of Connecticut Announces James Mora as New Head Football Coach
Connecticut Turns to Former NFL Coach for Turnaround
James Lawrence Mora, born November 19, 1961, has been named the 32nd head football coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn), as announced by Director of Athletics David Benedict on November 11, 2021.
Mora brings with him a wealth of experience both at the collegiate and professional levels. He most recently served as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in the National Football League (NFL) from 2017 to 2021. Prior to that, he held the same position at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 2012 to 2017.
As a player, Mora was a four-year letterman at UCLA, where he played quarterback. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Washington State University in 1984. After stints at Cal Poly and New Mexico State University, he joined the NFL's San Diego Chargers in 1992, where he served in various roles until 1996.
Mora's hiring marks a new era for UConn football, which has struggled in recent years. The Huskies have not had a winning season since 2010 and have finished last in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) standings the past two years.
Mora will inherit a team that returns 18 starters from last season's 1-11 squad. He will be tasked with improving the Huskies' offense, which ranked 129th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2021. He will also need to shore up the defense, which allowed 37.1 points per game last season.
Mora is confident in his ability to turn the UConn football program around. "I'm excited to be here and I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said. "We're going to work hard and we're going to win games. I promise you that."
Comments