Jim Mora Moves Within 1,200 Miles of Montlake

The former UW player has taken the head-coaching job at Colorado State.

Former Husky player Jim Mora has left Connecticut to become the Colorado State head coach. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Jim Mora just moved 1,850 miles closer to his supposed dream job on Wednesday with the announcement that he will be leaving Connecticut to become the next football coach for Colorado State.

The former University of Washington linebacker and safety, of course, still remains 1,200 miles and a full time zone away from returning to Seattle and the Huskies, which he always has maintained would be the ultimate coaching job for him.

For now, Mora, 64, is joining the newest rendition of the Pac-12, which begins play next year with Colorado State becoming a league member with Washington State, Oregon State, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State for football purposes.

"I am truly humbled to join CSU as we transition to the Pac-12 Conference," Mora said in a statement. "I am excited to meet the team and look forward to connecting with the former players. I can't wait for our family to become part of the Northern Colorado community."

Jim Mora leads his Connecticut team onto the field. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Mora previously was a head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and UCLA, with currentl UW coach Jedd Fisch serving as his offensive coordinator and ultimately interim coaching replacement for the Bruins.

While in Atlanta, he suggested on a Seattle sports talk radio show with a certain amount of bravado that coaching the UW football team would be so appealing to him he would do just about anything to get it, joking that he would have left the Falcons if they were in the postseason if the job came open.

A Husky player in 1980-83, Mora became a hot coaching property again after spending four seasons at Connecticut and leading those Huskies to 9-3 and 9-4 records over the past two years, plus multiple bowl berths.

Colorado State currently is 2-9, which includes a season-opening 38-21 loss to the UW at Husky Stadium.

Jay Novell was the Rams coach when the season began but he was fired after his team lost five of the first seven games on the schedule.

How long Mora stays in Fort Collins, Colorado, likely depends how long Fisch wants to be the Husky coach.

Once media reports put Fisch on the Florida wish list as a candidate for that opening -- and have kept him there -- Mora supporters began lobbying behind the scenes for the former Husky player to be considered if the UW finds itself seeking a new football leader.

The Huskies have had three coaching changes since 2019, with Chris Petersen stepping down and being replaced by Jimmy Lake, who was fired and replaced by Kalen DeBoer, who is now at Alabama with his departure creating an opening for Fisch.

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