🔒Deal that lured Mora to Colorado State not much different from his UConn contract

Last December, just before the University of Connecticut football team was scheduled to play North Carolina in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Boston, UConn announced it had agreed to a two-year contract extension with head coach Jim Mora. That new deal, which extended his contract through Dec. 31, 2028, was valued at $10.01 million over its four years — or $2.5 million annually, not including performance bonuses. That was a $1 million boost in Mora’s base salary from his original five-year deal signed in 2021. The agreement included performance incentives worth $200,000 annually. Mora would go on to lead the Huskies to a decisive 27-14 win over UNC to clinch a 9-4 record, the school’s first nine-win season in football since 2007 and first victory in a bowl game since 2009. Despite following that up with a 9-3 record this year and another yet-to-be named bowl appearance, Mora announced last week he was leaving to become head coach at Colorado State University. CSU has been a Mountain West Conference doormat, posting a 2-10 record this year after losing six straight games, but will jump to the revised Pac-12 Conference next year. For Mora, who grew up out West and has a home in Idaho, the jump to CSU appears to not have been about the money. According to various published reports online, his five-year contract with CSU will pay him an average annual base salary of $2.6 million, roughly the same as the extension he signed with UConn. In fact, his base salary at CSU for his first season next year is $2.4 million, slightly less than his UConn pay. The base salary increases by $100,000 in each year of the CSU deal, topping out at $2.8 million in 2030. He also will receive a $150,000 signing bonus, and a $150,000 annual retention bonus if he remains "in good standing” with the school on Feb. 1 following each contract year. The contract is loaded with other bonuses based on the team’s performance, both on the field and in the classroom, as well as for any honors Mora may receive. CSU also agrees to pay the $1.5 million buyout Mora owes to UConn to get out of his contract. While Mora’s compensation may not have been the key factor in luring him from UConn, the money CSU will provide him for his staff might be. According to various published reports, CSU will provide a pool of up to $5 million to pay the salaries of assistant coaches and support staff. Mora departs after rebuilding a moribund UConn football program that had gone 4-32 from 2018-21 (the team did not play in 2020 during the pandemic) to produce back-to-back nine-win seasons with three bowl appearances in his four seasons as head coach. His four-year record with UConn was 27-23, including 1-1 in bowl games.