New UConn Football HC Receives Praise From Dan Hurley
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The UConn Huskies are beginning a new phase and transition in their football program as Jim Mora decided to leave and take the Colorado State head coaching position. And with Mora leaving, enter Jason Candle as the new head coach of the Huskies Football Team.
Candle comes over from the MAC Conference, as he was the head coach of the Toledo Rockets. Candle is going to have to fill some big shoes as Mora had led the program to back-to-back 9-3 seasons and appearances in the Fenway Bowl.
He is already well-regarded at UConn as basketball coach Dan Hurley had a lot of praise for him as Candle starts his new job. It says a lot about how well Candle did at Toledo to already be getting praise from as pristine a head coach as Dan Hurley.
"I think he's going to be awesome. A serious ball coach that the entire state and university needs to just support and get behind because you're looking at people like James Madison and Tulane in the playoff, why can't we become that in football?" said Hurley.
Can Candle Replicate Mora's Success?
Dan Hurley is well-regarded and in high standing in the UConn organization, as he was able to win back-to-back National Titles in 2023 and 2024. Hurley's Huskies then got beaten in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025 by the eventual champions in the Florida Gators.
Hurley has been with the Huskies for quite a bit now and has quite the record to look at. Mora did the same at UConn, turning a lowly program into a powerhouse the last two years. Being able to coach a team to back-to-back 9-3 seasons and back-to-back Fenway Bowl appearances against decent opponents is quite the resume.
If it wasn't for a few slip ups, Mora would have been able to have this 2025 Huskies football team at a 12-0 record, as their three losses were all by one score. Candle is coming to UConn, looking to duplicate that kind of success and it is not as far-fetched as it might seem.
Candle was in high regard at Toledo and in his career with the Rockets, he was able to lead them to three MAC Championships. The MAC conference might not be as highly regarded as a Power 4 school, but that conference is not one you take for granted because that conference has seen several NFL starters in years past.
Candle has some work to do if he wants to be as successful as Mora was. But he has the support he needs to be successful in Storrs.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.