When Jim Mora announced that he would be taking the head coaching job at Colorado State, the news spread confusion across Storrs. He had just signed an extension and is one of the most successful football coaches UConn has had in years. Even Nick Saban chimed in on the Pat McAfee Show, saying, “I don’t know why he would do such a thing.” But while others are confused, Dan Hurley is quite familiar with this situation.

So, when asked about Mora, Hurley didn’t express distrust in his decision. Instead, he praised him and opened up about what he has learned from him.

“Jim Mora-I learned a lot from watching him coach. Coach is as good as it gets in terms of a leader of an organization,” Hurley said. “He changed the culture and the hope that he brought back to the university, the state, and the fanbase with football…can’t have anything but love for what he did here. It’s incredible. I wish him well. He’s an awesome coach, and he did a lot for UConn.”

And yes, Mora did an incredible job at Storrs. He led UConn to three bowl games across four seasons and posted a 27–23 record. At first glance, that may not seem extraordinary. But in reality, it was a massive turnaround for a program that was in shambles when he arrived.

Before Mora took over, UConn was 7–41 over four years and had suffered ten straight losing seasons under five different coaches. That’s what Mora inherited.From there, he rebuilt. The Huskies were 1–11 before he arrived, and in his first season, they finished 6–6, reaching their first bowl game in seven years.

There were stumbles in the middle, but over the last two seasons, he delivered the first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history. Yes-he lifted UConn football out of one of the darkest stretches in its history. And who understands that better than Hurley?

Ever since he became UConn’s 19th head coach on March 22, 2018, the men’s basketball program has been on a steady rise. Seven years later, he has restored its blue-blood status and delivered back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024.

Hurley’s charisma and sideline fire even captivated the nation during UConn’s historic NCAA Tournament run, where he set a modern-era record of 13 straight March Madness wins from 2023–25. All 12 of their wins during the back-to-back titles came by double digits. So the journeys of Hurley and Mora mirror each other in many ways. Both took over struggling programs. Both rebuilt. Both won big. And both eventually attracted massive job offers.

“It’s emotional, and there are a lot of factors,” Hurley explained when comparing his situation to Mora’s. “You’re torn, because you love the place. I know Jim Mora loves UConn and his players. There’s a real emotional connection- you could see it on the sidelines with the way they competed and the seasons they had. But then there are other things. Family considerations. Where you’re from. Conferences. There are a lot of things in play when you have to make these choices.”

But while Mora chose to return home as he’s a Colorado State native, Hurley stayed. He turned down a six-year, $70 million deal from the Los Angeles Lakers and chose UConn’s $50 million offer instead. So having been through the same emotional tug-of-war, Hurley understands Mora’s decision-and he supports it.

So what happens to UConn football now?

Hurley isn’t worried. That’s because he’s got trust in the man running the show.

“No. 1, we have the best AD in college sports,” Hurley said. “Dave has hired some very successful coaches. He’s going to hit another home run like he has done. He’s the best AD in the country.”

After all, Benedict is the same athletic director who brought Hurley from Rhode Island seven years ago. It makes sense that Hurley has complete confidence in him.  “UConn is the type of place where they provide you the resources,” Hurley said. “There isn’t any magic dust in Storrs, Connecticut. But if you get the right coach who hires the right staff and attracts the right players, you can be championship-level in anything here.”

And yes, Benedict had already made some moves. He has named offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis as the interim head coach for the upcoming bowl game. A national search for Mora’s replacement is coming next. With the right hire, UConn could continue building on the momentum Mora created.

Also, considering UConn’s proven success across multiple sports, it won’t be difficult to hire the right leader. Still, can the Huskies find someone capable of filling the massive void Jim Mora left behind?