University of Connecticut athletic director David Benedict issued a statement on Wednesday morning in the wake of the news that head football coach Jim Mora is leaving Storrs to take the job at Colorado State. He also stated that Mora won't coach the team in its upcoming bowl game. Offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will lead the group. 

(The following appeared on UConn's athletic website)

Jim Mora informed me late last night that he has accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State.

We are grateful for Coach Mora's contributions to UConn over the past four seasons. He took on the challenge of rebuilding our football program and delivered results that exceeded expectations. Under his leadership, the Huskies won 27 games and achieved bowl eligibility in three of his four seasons, including back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in program history.

Coach Mora brought energy and a winning culture back to UConn football and put our program back on the national stage.

We thank Jim for his dedication to our student-athletes and wish him, his wife Kathy and his family the best at Colorado State.

We now turn our attention to finding the right leader to build on the foundation that has been established and continue moving UConn football forward.

Offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will lead the team in the interim as a national search for the next head coach at the University of Connecticut will begin immediately.

Mora spent four seasons in Storrs, earning a 27-23 record overall. He had back-to-back 9-win seasons and led the Huskies to three bowl games, including this year.

This years team never lost in regulation, suffering only three overtime losses.

Sammis has been with the program for four seasons, including two as the offensive coordinator. He previously coached at FCS William & Mary, Lafayette College, VMI, Columbia University and Virginia. He also played offensive line for the Cavaliers.

It all really depends on the resources that the next coach is promised. 

On the positive side, it's been proven that a coach can win in Storrs already.

On the negative side, without a conference affiliation, it's hard to elevate to the next level in terms of being able to make the College Football Playoff. If a program can't easily sell that that, then it better be able to provide players with some NIL money. We will see how the university continues to invest in football.

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