The college football coaching carousel is starting to spin, and as usual, plenty of familiar names are surfacing. But one coach who isn’t getting nearly enough attention is UConn’s Jim Mora Jr.. He's a name that deserves to be in far more conversations, including at Arkansas, where a vacancy now looms.
Yes, that UConn. The school synonymous with basketball dominance is now home to one of the most quietly impressive turnarounds in college football, led by a man who has quietly rebuilt the Huskies from irrelevance into a legitimate winner.
UConn Football’s Quiet Turnaround
Under Mora, UConn sits at 7–3 this season and it’s not a hollow record. The Huskies’ three losses have all come in overtime, by a combined 13 points. Let that sink in: they are 13 points away from being undefeated. For a program that was once considered a college football afterthought, that’s nothing short of remarkable.
The turnaround didn’t happen overnight. Mora went 9–4 in 2024, highlighted by a Fenway Bowl win over North Carolina, just UConn’s second bowl appearance in his three seasons. That nine-win campaign was the school’s first winning season since 2010, and only the third time in program history that the Huskies reached nine wins or more.
Mora’s success in Storrs is more than a feel-good story, it’s a testament to experience, leadership, and adaptability. He’s brought credibility to an independent program that has had to claw for national respect. And when you look at his résumé, his results shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Proven Track Record
Before UConn, Mora spent six seasons at UCLA, compiling a 46–30 record and a 29–24 mark in Pac-12 play. He led the Bruins to the 2012 Pac-12 South title, along with wins in the 2013 Sun Bowl and 2014 Alamo Bowl. Add in 35 years of coaching experience across the college and NFL ranks, and you’ve got a coach who’s seen every side of the game and knows how to build a program from the ground up.
That’s exactly the kind of leadership Arkansas could use. The Razorbacks need a program-builder, not just a play-caller. They need a coach with a hard-nosed mentality, one who understands how to create toughness, accountability, and belief which are all traits Mora has instilled at UConn.
Even without prior SEC experience, Mora’s extensive time in the NFL has prepared him for the pressure, the physicality, and the scrutiny that comes with coaching in college football’s most demanding conference. He’s been through the highs and lows of major programs and has come out sharper for it.
Why Arkansas Should Take Notice
Mora represents the rare combination of proven success and renewed energy. He's a veteran coach who’s rediscovered his passion and his edge. Programs looking for stability and toughness could do far worse than giving him a serious look. If Arkansas is hoping for a quick turnaround they should look no further than Coach Mora.
Whether Arkansas picks up the phone or not, it’s time the broader college football world stops overlooking Jim Mora Jr. He’s quietly pulled off one of the best rebuilds in the country and if given another shot at a Power Four job, he just might do it again.