Coaching Candidate: Jim Mora, UConn

Coaching Candidate is a mini-series exploring potential head coaches at the FCS and FBS levels. Read more about the contracts and backgrounds of Alex Golesh,  Bob Chesney, Ryan Silverfield, Charles Huff, Brent Vigen, Tim Polasek, Dan Mullen, and Jason Eck.

Jim Mora is quietly one of the more interesting names on the coaching carousel, especially out west. Oregon State, Stanford, even the “would they really do it?” return-to-UCLA speculation all carry at least a thread of plausibility. Mora’s ties run deep, and his re-entry into the coaching lane at UConn has rebuilt his profile in a way few expected.

Prior to UConn, he spent a stretch at ESPN, where he picked up the same media bump that coaches like Dan Mullen have enjoyed. TV softened his image, humanized him a bit, and reintroduced him to athletic directors who had only remembered the UCLA (or Seattle Seahawks) version of Mora. Coach originally joined the Blue and White as an “offensive analyst” under interim head coach Lou Spanos in 2021 and got the head coaching gig the next season.

The job he walked into wasn’t easy. UConn made the controversial decision to place most sports (again) in the non-football Big East and push football into independence, signaling an institutional pivot toward basketball. Even before that, life on the gridiron had been rough. Since 2011, the Huskies had managed just one season with four or more wins — a 6-6 campaign in 2015 under Bob Diaco that ended with a 16-10 loss to Marshall.

Mora didn’t flinch. In 2024, he delivered a 9-4 season, snapped a long drought of winning football, and capped it by beating UNC in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. It was the program’s second bowl trip in his three seasons. The nine wins matched the most for UConn since 2010 and marked just the third time in school history the Huskies hit nine or more victories. 

In 2025, Mora proved that the turnaround in 2024 was no fluke. UConn currently sits at 9-3, receiving quiet-but-valid top 25 votes, and playing some of the most consistent football the program has seen since the early Randy Edsall era. Back-to-back nine-win seasons had not happened in Storrs since 2000.

Jim Mora Contract

UConn approved a new amended contract and extension for Jim Mora in December 2024, locking him in through December 31, 2028. The updated deal carried a then total remaining value of $10.01 million over four years, driven largely by major increases to Mora’s supplemental salary. The package also includes expanded performance-based incentives — including a tripled College Football Playoff bonus cap — and a big retention bonus due in 2026.

Jim Mora Base Salary

• $400,000 annually

Jim Mora Supplemental Salary

For Mora’s “performance of media and speaking appearances, fundraising, development activities, public outreach and other responsibilities associated with being the head football coach at the University of Connecticut.”

• 2025: $1,715,000
• 2026: $1,965,000
• 2027: $2,315,000
• 2028: $2,415,000

Jim Mora Total Salary (Base + Supplemental)

• 2025: $2,115,000
• 2026: $2,365,000
• 2027: $2,715,000
• 2028: $2,815,000

Jim Mora Buyout (if Mora leaves UConn):

• On or before 12/31/2025: $1,500,000
• 1/1/2026 – 12/31/2026: $750,000
• 1/1/2027 – 12/31/2027: $250,000
• 1/1/2028 – 12/31/2028: $0

Jim Mora Buyout (if fired without cause):

• 2025: 100% of remaining pay
• 2026: 75%
• 2027: 65%
• 2028: 50%

(Paid monthly through 2028)

Retention Bonus:

Mora is set to receive a $300,000 bonus on December 31, 2026, if he remains UConn’s head coach through that date. Of note, he received a $200,000 retention bonus on 12-31-23.

Power 4 Clause:

Ah, yes, we have to include it because of conference realignment.

Should UConn get an invite to a Power 4 conference for its football team, both parties would agree to a good-faith negotiation. Additionally, in its contract language, it is defined in the contract as:

As used herein, ‘Power 4 Conference’ includes the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Big 10 Conference, the Southeastern Conference, and any other conference that is commonly considered within the industry to be a ‘Power 4’ or ‘Power 5’ conference at the time of such agreement (the parties agree that as of January 1, 2025 there is no other such other conference).

The Wrap Up

Sometimes labeled a “nepo baby coach” because he’s the son of longtime NFL head coach Jim Mora, he’s more than proven he can stand on his own. At the college level, he owns a 75-53 record and has twice led programs to real, structural improvement. His NFL stops were mixed — 26-22 with Atlanta, including a run to the NFC Championship before regressing, and a one-and-done 5-11 season in Seattle — but the overall résumé shows a coach who’s operated at every level and learned from all of it.

“Junior” brings a unique pedigree to any job. And while UConn probably didn’t expect independence to look this competitive, Mora has — in a way — called their bluff. They’re winning. The question now is whether UConn doubles down and keeps him with another contract extension or lets him walk into the carousel without a fight.

Mora also knows independence has been good to him, but the margin for error is thin, and the transfer portal makes sustaining success even tougher, especially at a basketball-first school like UConn. His next move, and UConn’s response, will be one of the more fascinating storylines to watch this offseason.