UConn HC Reaches Major Milestone in Win Over FIU
Jim Mora’s UConn Huskies secured their third consecutive win against the FIU Panthers on Saturday. After a 1-2 start to the season, which saw them lose narrow overtime encounters to the Syracuse Orange and the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, Joe Fagnano and Co. are back to winning ways.
Mora started his coaching career at the Washington Huskies as a graduate assistant in 1984. The following year, he moved to the NFL as the San Diego Chargers’ defensive quality control coach. He was made assistant defensive backs coach in 1986 and was promoted to defensive coach in 1989.
He had stints with the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers as DB and DC coach before taking up the head coach role with the Atlanta Falcons in 2004. After a few more years with the Seahawks as their DB coach for two years and head coach for one year, Mora took a break before entering the college football scene.
The 63-year-old joined UCLA as their head coach and led the program to a 9-5 season in his first year. He followed it up with two back-to-back 10-3 seasons. Mora managed an 8-5 record in his fourth season, but it ended up being his last winning season with the program. UCLA managed a 4-8 and a 5-6 record in the next two seasons, leading to Mora’s departure.
The Huskies HC arrived in Connecticut as an offensive assistant in 2021, as interim HC Lou Spanos wrapped up the 2021 season. Mora's first year with the program was far from a dream start as he managed a 6-7 record in 2022. They made their first bowl appearance after seven years, where they lost to the Marshall Thundering Herd in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Mora’s second season with the Huskies was one to forget. He was handed his worst record as a college football HC. UConn registered only three wins and lost nine games. But the program did not lose faith in its head coach, and Mora delivered.
The Huskies went on to secure a 9-4 record and their first bowl win after 15 years, defeating North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl. Mora entered the 2025 season with 96 wins under his belt. UConn kicked off the season with a dominant 59-13 win, pushing their coach close to the 100-win mark.
Two back-to-back defeats meant Mora had to wait a little longer for the milestone. But the Huskies made sure their coach joined the 100-win club with an exceptional show. Fagnano threw for a career-high 355 yards and four touchdowns to secure Mora’s 100th career win.
Congrats Coach Mora on reaching 100 career-wins as a head football coach! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aj8SDQMLKc
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) October 4, 2025
It was Mora’s 68th college football victory. He had won 31 regular-season games and one playoff game as an NFL coach. Mora has a 68-52 record in college football, a 31-33 record in the NFL regular season, and a 1-1 record in the NFL playoffs.
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