Coach Jim Mora makes bold promise for Colorado State's football future - ESPN

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Former UConn football coach Jim Mora says the prospect of coaching at Colorado State first piqued his interest six years ago.

The Rams' new coach said he went back through his texts and found one from 2019 expressing interest in the job that went to Steve Addazio following Mike Bobo's departure.

«So, that's when it got on my radar initially,» said Mora, who takes over the Rams program following the midseason firing of Jay Norvell.

«I have a relationship with Jay Norvell. Jay worked for my dad,» Mora said. "… When the program decided to move on from Jay, I was immediately interested. It renewed the interest that I had in 2019."

Augmenting that interest is the Rams' move next summer to the newly configured Pac-12 along with Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State from the Mountain West Conference. They'll join Gonzaga and Texas State along with holdovers Oregon State and Washington State.

«Brand recognition is huge,» said Mora, who coached in a Pac-12 that looked dramatically different during his tenure at UCLA. «I've been associated with the Pac-12 since it was the Pac-8 and then the Pac-10 and then the Pac-12 at all levels whether it was my dad as a coach, me as a player or me as a coach.

»The Pac-12 represents excellence. It always has. Now, this may be a new community of members in the Pac-12, but it's still the Pac-12 and this new community of members is going to make the Pac-12 Conference powerful once again."

The Rams are coming off a 2-10 season, including 1-7 in the Mountain West.

«I like challenges,» said Mora, who led UConn to nine-win campaigns each of the past two seasons. «I like the thought of jumping in headfirst and trying to build something that can be lasting and