Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: UConn resurgence led by Jim Mora

[huskymedic]

-> A year ago at this time, UConn football looked finished, again, and Mora sounded finished, lamenting the lack of resources to compete even with group of five conference FBS foes, a “can’t-win-here” refrain we’ve heard for many times. The Huskies were run off the field in Atlanta when they played Georgia State last season.

Now, UConn is 6-3 for the first time since 2008. Money talks here, and Mora can speak the language.

“There’s a guy standing back there, Mike Burton, the impact that man has had on this football program,” Mora said, pointing to the back of the interview room. “He has been the kingpin behind us having what you have to have in this day and age, which is NIL funds. He cares desperately about this program.” <-

-> Transfers Mel Brown, Durell Robinson, Louis Hansen, Nick Evers and Chris Freeman accounted for all 34 points.

“The state of affairs in college football lends itself to our having the chance to have success,” Mora said. “Because we can go get some players and we can reload quickly, and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to be as aggressive as we can possibly be in the portal when it opens. Now, we’re not thinking about that right now, but you’ve got to have a plan and we’re going to get more good football players.” <-

Nice piece within about Jackson Harper getting the game ball for his on-side kick recovery.

 

[huskymedic]

For the “I’d rather hear it/not read it” folks:

 

[ZooCougar]

-> A year ago at this time, UConn football looked finished, again, and Mora sounded finished, lamenting the lack of resources to compete even with group of five conference FBS foes, a “can’t-win-here” refrain we’ve heard for many times. The Huskies were run off the field in Atlanta when they played Georgia State last season.

Now, UConn is 6-3 for the first time since 2008. Money talks here, and Mora can speak the language.

“There’s a guy standing back there, Mike Burton, the impact that man has had on this football program,” Mora said, pointing to the back of the interview room. “He has been the kingpin behind us having what you have to have in this day and age, which is NIL funds. He cares desperately about this program.” <-

-> Transfers Mel Brown, Durell Robinson, Louis Hansen, Nick Evers and Chris Freeman accounted for all 34 points.

“The state of affairs in college football lends itself to our having the chance to have success,” Mora said. “Because we can go get some players and we can reload quickly, and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to be as aggressive as we can possibly be in the portal when it opens. Now, we’re not thinking about that right now, but you’ve got to have a plan and we’re going to get more good football players.” <-

Nice piece within about Jackson Harper getting the game ball for his on-side kick recovery.

Harper is from CT and he might be my favorite player. He's had some huge plays on Special Teams this year. I know he's a WR who wants to be on the field catching passes but to make not one but two amazing special teams plays in a season isn't an accident. He's a legend.

I don't agree with and like everything Mora does. But I like 80% of it.

The thing I like the most is that he spreads the credit and the glory around and doesn't make it about him. This season wouldn't be happening without Mike Burton, but it also wouldn't happen if Mora didn't melt down and tell everyone the truth that they needed to hear about the state of the program and its resourcing needs.

 

[AllHusky]

Dom, nice job as always.

 

[BlueandOG]

Three cheers for Mike Burton!

 

[huskymedic]

ICYMI: Full Press Conference:

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Jetskies]

...He cares desperately about this program.”

"desperately" [emphasis added]

that hit me in a different place, when Jim mora said that word, in that way.
some people care about this more than I ever will.
I have no money, just an interest.

TY to the Burtons and others who can do it where I can't.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[GoConn]

With our NIL supposedly higher than last years cycle and with a winning season helps make us more attractive, I think we can bring in our best talent yet.

 

[Hoophound]

With staff retention, player retention and more NIL money, we should be able to win our share of P4 games beginning next season. I’ll be sweating the offseason hoping we can keep it all together and moving forward.

 

[huskymedic]

Good read from Andy Staples:



-> It also helps to have a coach who doesn’t hate all the changes in college sports. Mora, who worked in the NFL for 24 years before he became the head coach at UCLA in 2012, feels quite at home in unlimited transfer/NIL era because it resembles the environment he grew up in as a coach. “My background is the National Football League, which really is somewhat similar to the new structure of college football,” he said. “Your portal resembles free agency. Your draft resembles recruiting. So it doesn’t faze me one bit that there’s been this transformation in college football where money has become an issue. So I’m able to operate in this world very comfortably because I’ve been in it most of his career.” <-

-> Mora also has evaluated well with his staff. Most assistants are in their 20s or 30s, and former DBs coach Dalton Hilliard, who played for Mora at UCLA, was the only coach Mora knew before taking the job. Working with a limited budget, Mora opted not to hire old buddies and instead looked for young coaches whose position groups produced impressive stats. He then called around to make sure the assistants taught their position groups well…

The age split has helped, the 63-year-old Mora said. “There’s an advantage to that,” Mora said. “They relate really well to the players. We kind of keep each other in line.” <-

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Jetskies]

I am a little uncomfortable wit the term "resurgence".
Maybe it's the fearful Jetsky in me that's been hurt so much by the Jets & Huskies, but idk if one season can constitute a turned corner.
for me, it takes 2 points to make a line, and 3 to establish a trend.

like - if we go 3-9 next year, where does that put us...

I want to see more of this in 2025 where we have another weak schedule, and then hopefully a true coming-of-age in 2026 if we can pull off the miracle of winning at least 7 games of that monster schedule.


but i know stories need headlines lol

 

[Jetskies]

the more I see this Buffalo LB Shaun Dolac ball the heck OUTTTT over the course of the season and grace the top of a lot these lists on twitter, the more I am impressed with how we made him a non-factor in our game earlier this year. I never heard his name that day.

like, never.
did he play? lol

 

[Jetskies]

spellcheck? jeesh - who is Jim "More"

 

[ZooCougar]

the more I see this Buffalo LB Shaun Dolac ball the heck OUTTTT over the course of the season and grace the top of a lot these lists on twitter, the more I am impressed with how we made him a non-factor in our game earlier this year. I never heard his name that day.

like, never.
did he play? lol

Devontae Houston posted that too. How odd.

 

[Viet Vet]

What Mora has given the fanbase can be summed up in two words: faith and hope. We hadn't felt these for over a decade.
Thanks, Jim.