Jim Mora Expected to be Named HC

[Slick]

Jim Mora will not be coaching UConn football next season...




.







.






...if the program is vaporized on Saturday.

wow one of the stupidest comments I have ever seen on the boneyard!

 

[drayenob]

'Why would you go to UConn?' Jim Mora eager to bring success to Huskies

“It’s a chance to do what I love to do with a school that’s a national brand," Mora said.

sports.yahoo.com

Mora and Benedict are headed to Clemson for UConn’s game there this weekend, which will begin Mora’s process of familiarizing himself with the team. (He said he’s already studied them extensively on film.)

“It gives me an opportunity to recruit like crazy,” Mora said. “A chance to go make some connections with coaches with Connecticut and the surrounding area and to evaluate the players we are recruiting. I don’t have to be preparing for a game. All my focus can be on recruiting. It gives us a chance to be very deliberate on how we go about hiring a staff.”

 

[Waquoit]

BTW, I just found out my phone auto-corrects "Pasqualoni" to "past baloney". How apropos!

 

[huskymedic]

Incoming…

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not sure Mike Vick is allowed to be around Huskies yet.

Well played.

 

[Pudge]

This is an absolute home run of a hire. It gives UConn instant national credibility. Shows that the AD and coaching staff will have a plan. I'm stunned. I can't imagine doing better.

and HE did it the week we walk into Clemson with National attention. I like Benedict a lot ... and loving watching the Hurley thing; and love having Auriemma happy; and new baseball, soccer, hockey and conference placement. so ... Yeah

 

[CL82]

So if Jim Maura is an assistant coach, who do we let go or demote? Weren’t we at capacity?

 

[Pudge]

Incoming…

this guy Sean and that guy Mike DiMaura should be on notice with their rooting openly against UCONN and for SU and BC. This is a solid State U with BRAND: I don't know how a CT sportswriter can be tormenting their readers as regularly as these 2 have with that dynamic. Do you think this happens in Central Pennsylvania or in West Virginia or NC?

 

[uconntailgater]

I think this is a very solid hire. We get a known commodity and an adult in the room who knows how to run a program. He will have credibility with the high school programs when recruiting. He doesn't need to recruit for a top 10 football team like he was trying to do at UCLA. The key will be who he brings in for offensive and defensive coordinators, and their ability to recruit players.

He will have a nice five year window to build the program and then pass it off to the next head coach.

It is good that the hiring took place when it did as he will be able to witness the players for three games to determine who can and cannot play at this level, then when the season is over he can have a talk with the players he feels may not be able to compete at this level so they can move on. He will then be able to review the existing commitments and make a decision if they’re a fit in his system.

I hope he takes advantage of the transfer portal as he is a known commodity and should be able to extract some quality players.

The good news is we have our head coach in place and he can now reach out to potential candidates to fill out his staff. I suspect he already has his candidates and mind. He can also hit the recruiting trail ahead of the other teams who will be replacing coaches.

Looks like a great hire.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Chin Diesel]

Up top on the main ESPN page.

 

[noeynox]

I know this doesn't mean much - but listening to him - he doesn't have the smugness of RE nor the oddness of BD. Seems like a pretty straight shooter.

There is something to be said for that.

 

[LBird33]

So sad no more fish cakes. Or bigger faster stronger. Darn

 

[huskymedic]

So if Jim Maura is an assistant coach, who do we let go or demote? Weren’t we at capacity?

-> Mora’s first official day as head coach will be Nov. 28 but he will get to work almost immediately, serving as a hands-off assistant coach for the rest of the season. Interim coach Lou Spanos, who worked as Mora’s defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2012-13, and the rest of staff will remain in charge of game-planning and coaching. <-

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I have found that after the last few football hires I talk myself into why it was the right move. When they hired PP...it was similar to Mora in that I hadn't even considered him...but I figured his link to CT and previous success would be beneficial. When they hired Diaco, he wasn't my first choice but I saw his personality and I thought after PP, maybe that's what they needed...a young energetic coach. With RE, it felt like our only way out of Diaco hell...and he would bring back competence and integrity.

I was wrong each time...and here we are again. I hadn't thought of him as the next coach...but I really wanted a coach who was a successful head coach. No coordinators. He fits that bill. I was hoping for an offensive coach. He doesn't fit that bill.

So...I am optimistic. Hopefully his staff selections will give me hope that the team will run a modern offense. And hopefully they spend some money on coordinators.

I do wonder if I am once again just talking myself into why this is the right move...but...it does feel the right move. Sigh...I hope this time I am not disappointed...lol.

 

[Durks07]

We won't know the full story for a few years, but we'll have a clue if it's headed in the right direction when we see their activity in the portal, new recruits, recruits retained, and finally when play starts next year. We've seen bad, so hopefully we'll see positive signs.

That's going to be the big question. Now because of the transfer portal, UConn can "recruit" 3-4 stars that they might not have been able to in years past. If he can start improving the talent level here quickly, things can get better fast. Let's certainly hope they do.

 

[JMick]

this guy Sean and that guy Mike DiMaura should be on notice with their rooting openly against UCONN and for SU and BC. This is a solid State U with BRAND: I don't know how a CT sportswriter can be tormenting their readers as regularly as these 2 have with that dynamic. Do you think this happens in Central Pennsylvania or in West Virginia or NC?

Sean is not really anti-uconn considering he's a cuse grad. He covers high school sports.

 

[noeynox]

Hey this is now "Our Guy". Gonna root like hell for him. I'm happy to turn the page on Edsall once and for all.

 

[CL82]

-> Mora’s first official day as head coach will be Nov. 28 but he will get to work almost immediately, serving as a hands-off assistant coach for the rest of the season. Interim coach Lou Spanos, who worked as Mora’s defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2012-13, and the rest of staff will remain in charge of game-planning and coaching. <-

So as long as he directly does not coach the players he can still be an “assistant coach”? I’m not sure of the rules here.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

So if Jim Maura is an assistant coach, who do we let go or demote? Weren’t we at capacity?

Not the sharpest knife in the set, but without posting I previously pondered the possibilities of an assistant receiving severance to depart early. My thought was it might free up an athletic department employee newly designated as an assistant coach to reach out to transfer portal participants.

 

[BugsyCT]

'Why would you go to UConn?' Jim Mora eager to bring success to Huskies

“It’s a chance to do what I love to do with a school that’s a national brand," Mora said.

sports.yahoo.com

Mora and Benedict are headed to Clemson for UConn’s game there this weekend, which will begin Mora’s process of familiarizing himself with the team. (He said he’s already studied them extensively on film.)

“It gives me an opportunity to recruit like crazy,” Mora said. “A chance to go make some connections with coaches with Connecticut and the surrounding area and to evaluate the players we are recruiting. I don’t have to be preparing for a game. All my focus can be on recruiting. It gives us a chance to be very deliberate on how we go about hiring a staff.”

If he can reel in some Clemson transfers while he's down there that would be greeeaaaattt.

 

[BigFanCT]

I share your initial reaction. Very surprised, both by him specifically but even the resume more generally — older, out of the game for a few years, no east coast coaching. But that doesn’t make it a bad hire either. I need to let it sink in and give it thought.

But DB’s career is resting on this decision, so whether it works out or not I assume he made the choice very deliberately and purposefully.

As in career after UConn? He certainly won’t be fired from here if this doesn’t work out. His life here is solely based on Dan Hurley and Dan Hurley only.

 

[the Q]

Add New Jersey, but yes

Exactly. I hope this works out, but no one knows how this will work out, and we will not know for at least 2-3 years. I thought PP was going to be a disaster. He was. I thought Diaco, a "young and hungry" assistant coach was going to elevate us to a top 25 level program. He did not. I thought that Randy 2.0 would stabilize a sinking ship and get us back to 7-5 and 8-4 seasons. He did not. College sports is littered with "home run" hires who were fired in 2-3 years.

Mora is a major name who has succeeded in the NFL and college football where success lives on borrowed time for all but 5 people. I'm optimistic that he can turn this program around. Let's see what happens.

This is 100% me as well, right down to the thoughts on the old hires

 

[ZooCougar]

View attachment 70915

You’re misreading. That was the continuation of a conversation from elsewhere.

He’s the UConn Football coach now and I support him and want him to be successful.