Mora Anxious For First Game in 5 Years
The Story: New football coach Jim Mora said at his first in-season press conference yesterday that he’s looking forward to getting back on the sidelines Saturday for the Huskies’ opener at Utah State but he does so with a bit of trepidation given how long it’s been since he coached.
A LONG WAIT: Mora last coached a game on Nov. 18, 2017, when UCLA lost to USC to fall to 5-6. He spent the next several years out of coaching and working as a television analyst before he was tabbed by UConn as its next head coach late last season.
• “I have had butterflies for about two weeks now,” Mora said yesterday. “I keep wanting to wake up and have them gone, but for some reason, they’re not gone. I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t nervous. I haven’t been in this situation in a few years, but it’s like a cliche. It’s like riding a bike. Once you get going, you fall back into it.”
STEADY DEMEANOR: Mora said observers will see that his coaching style during games is relatively relaxed because he wants his players to feel comfortable.
• “I’m excited to watch our players have success. I’m excited to help them when we’re struggling a little bit. That’s what I love doing. I’m excited about managing a game and making decisions that impact the outcome of the game. But important, I’m just excited to be there to support our players.
• “Game day for me as a head coach is all about just being a dependable guy they can count on — not a guy that yells and screams at them. I don’t like that. If you’re going to be really demanding, it happens on the practice field. If you’re going to be loud, it happens on the practice field. On game day, it’s about, man, they’ve got to be able to look to the sideline and go, ‘That guy, he’s got us.’ That’s what I try to project. I’m a little nervous, yeah. But I think this: I think when we run out there and the ball’s kicked off, whether we’re receiving or kicking off, I’ll be excited because that’s what I love to do.”
A RUSHED PROCESS? A story published by Hearst Connecticut Media yesterday morning sheds a bit more light on how athletic director Dave Benedict hired Mora, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect well on the way the coaching search was conducted.
• UConn had Lou Spanos as its interim head coach last season, and when Spanos took the reins, he brought in Noel Mazzone as an analyst to help with the offense. The two worked together at UCLA as the coordinators under Mora, and when Mora was hired, the connections seemed too good to be true. Apparently, they were: According to the report, Mazzone told Benedict that UConn “really could use a guy like Jim Mora,” to which Benedict replied, “If he has an interest … please share it with him.”
• Details of the contract negotiation are remarkably vague, but apparently, Mora, who didn’t have an agent, suggested terms that Benedict couldn’t match. Benedict told him so, and Mora suggested something else, and Benedict said OK. What we know is Mora signed a five-year contract that pays $1.5 million this season. “It was pretty easy when it got to that point,” Mora said. “Then we went out and had dinner and a beer and laughed.”
• What does it all mean? Well, so far, Mora has been able to walk the walk. He’s brought in transfers who can help the team, made inroads with high school coaches around the region and done wonders in building up the program. He’s also realistic about the challenges ahead. If it works, Benedict saved the university the expense of a search firm that would identify someone like Bob Diaco. If it doesn’t, well, hey, we’re kind of convinced nothing will at this point, right?
MAKING CENTS: There’s nothing more fitting for the first stories about UConn’s opening week under Mora to be about a walk-on who’s not going to play any kind of featured role, but here’s to Southington’s Jacob Flynn for earning a scholarship and not needing to take out loans every year.
