Subscribe
Follow Us
In just three seasons, it appears as if head coach Jim Mora has successfully turned around a UConn football program that was an unmitigated disaster in the half-decade prior to his arrival. The Huskies won 10 games total in the five seasons leading up to the beginning of Mora's tenure. Since taking over ahead of the 2022 season, the Huskies are a respectable 18-20, and just capped only their third nine-win season in program history, matching the mark set twice by Randy Edsall's Huskies in both 2003 and 2007.
A victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels — minus Bill Belichick — in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl is what allowed the Huskies to reach the nine-win mark, but it wasn't long after UConn's 27-14 victory that Jim Mora was forced to go on the offensive against another daunting opponent… the College Football Transfer Portal.
Mora isn't the first head coach who has voiced his displeasure in the fact that the transfer portal is active during Bowl Season, and he definitely won't be the last. But from the sounds of it, Mora believes there was legitimate tampering by opposing coaches who were attempting to poach UConn's players during this period.
Article Continues Below
“A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken NCAA Football rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours. We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable. We are excited that we’ve built a program where coaches have to cheat to beat us and we will protect that program. Think hard before you tamper with our players.”
Considering UConn is by no means “a football school,” there are fewer resources to go around, which puts Mora and his staff at something of a disadvantage in today's college football landscape where deep pockets go a long way in putting together a competitive roster. Without regulations, a school like UConn is at an even greater disadvantage, which is especially problematic when they're on the verge of playing in one of the biggest bowl games in program history.
