Colorado State University introduced new football head coach Jim Mora on Monday.
Mora takes over for Jay Norvell, who was fired midway through the season, and Tyson Summers, who served as the interim coach. The Rams, fresh off an 8-4 record in 2024 that included an appearance in the "Snoop Dogg" Arizona Bowl, tumbled to a 2-10 mark this season.
Mora arrived in Fort Collins late Sunday evening with members of his family, where he was greeted by CSU Athletic Director John Weber. Mora had been coaching at the University of Connecticut, where he led the Huskies to 27 wins and made three bowl games over four seasons there.
In front of a packed Stadium Club Room inside CSU's Canvas Stadium, Mora said he's ready to take the Rams' program to new heights.
"Our goals will be set at a very high level, and we'll work every day to attain those goals," he said. "It's about the work, and one of my mottos is actions over words, and we're going to talk a lot, but our actions have to match our words otherwise we're just spinning our wheels."
Mora's football roots are deeply rooted. Before UConn, he was the head coach at UCLA from 2012 to 2017. He also held head coaching stints in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.
"(CSU) had to get this hire right and I think they did," said Brian Roth, the longtime radio announcer for the Rams. "They have someone with head coaching experience, NFL coaching experience, somebody that's rebuilt a program as he did in UConn. And now Jim Mora comes here with the facilities and support, and there's no reason why he can't do that here."
Mora's financial breakdown under his five-year deal with CSU begins with a base salary of $2.4 million. It will go up $100,000 every year — to $2.5 million in 2027, $2.6 million in 2028, $2.7 million in 2029 and $2.8 million in 2030.
He will also earn additional bonuses if the Rams achieve a certain number of wins each season, postseason bowl berths and academic excellence from his players in the classroom.
Mora will owe UConn $1.5 million as part of a buyout agreement, but CSU will pay for it per the terms of his contract.
Mora is slated to make his CSU head coaching debut on Sept. 5, when the Rams host Wyoming in the 118th edition of the "Border War" at Canvas Stadium.
