Today seems like every American coach will be hired to an SEC school with Auburn, Arkansas, and Florida all on the verge of announcing their new hires and we are still awaiting the announcement that Kiffin is leaving for LSU, so I feel like today is the right time to release my UConn coach list before the hires become official. Also, below will be the link to the coach candidate lists of every other job available or was available. I will soon update each school showing which job has been filled and which hasn't.
https://fanspo.com/nfl/s/college_football/p/ehkeG_1Wbo6Yb-/coach-candidate-tier-list-links
Let's look at what UConn is replacing in Jim Mora. Son of former NFL coach known for his meme catchphrase "playoffs?" and younger Mora himself was a NFL coach of his own, left coaching Sundays for the UCLA job. He was pretty solid for his first few seasons with the first season making the Pac 12 championship game and the went back to back 10 wins. The next few seasons he started to lose his grip went from back to back 10 wins to 8-5 to 4-8. His last season was just him walking on a tight rope, so it was a matter of when not if he would get fired in 2017. After losing a close one to their ranked rival USC, at USC, UCLA made the change and fired him and replaced him with Jedd Fisch as interim. After taking a few years off, he returned to coaching in what was seen as a shocker and a bad hire at one point going to UConn. He had a solid first year improving their 1-11 season to go 6-7 (stop the jokes, just a record). The next year, everyone thought the Mora regression was real after going 3-9 and was once seen as a hot seat candidate. That ended up aging poorly with him going 9 wins back to back seasons and rightfully earning a return to the Pac 12.
The reason why he left is largely because of two reasons. They are still not in a conference and therefore does not get enough recognition than they deserve. And then there is the lack of resources in the football program. You look at both of the basketball programs and then you look at the football program and you would be shocked you are looking at one school's athletic programs. The football program has struggled winning games and is a historically bad to mediocre football program, had success with Randy Edsall, he left and they fell to bad to mediocre once again, brought Edsall back to try and replicate the former success, was unsuccessful and forced him to retire. Really, what they need is either a coach who can talk the talk and be able to bring money to the football program or coach who can work with small amounts of NIL money and ability to find diamonds in the rough via recruiting or transfer portal.
Hire Inside
Gordon Sammis, UConn (OC; 2023-?)
A fantastic O Line coach, coaching one of my favorite O Line's in the non P4 level. I was high on him last year thinking he could had been a serious candidate for the Kent State job. I feel like if you want to retain the success Mora has had, Sammis is the only one that can keep it going. He would hopefully be able to retain some of the players and staff.
Ivy League Expreiment
Tony Reno, Yale (2012-?)
With UConn in the Northeast and the main priority in these northeast schools is to be a top academic school, they may want a coach who prioritizes a top academic football team while also being a top team on the field. Tony Reno is/should be on the top of that list. He has the Bulldogs consistently at the top of the Ivy League. My only issue is he may want to stay at Yale where there isn't much pressure, just win 7 games every year and you don't have to worry about your job on the line.
Andrew Aurich, Harvard (2024-?)
Now, this is a name that may take the job. A long time Greg Schiano assistant, there is no way you can not convince me that he took the Harvard job just to be a stepping stone so he can replace Schiano one day at Rutgers. In between the time working with Schiano, he has worked at Princeton for Bob Surace and later became the OC. A young hot name that I don't see many people talking about, had to put him on this list.
Guy With Head Coach Experience
Joe Moorhead, Akron (2022-?)
A former OC for the Huskies, would be an underratedly good hire. Went to Mississippi State years ago and was decent, but was not good enough in the SEC and they let him go. Went a revived his career at Oregon as the OC, then took a financially bad Akron and is slowly reviving the Zips. I feel like he could either take the UConn job and have a good season or stay at Akron and go 8-4 next season. He is set for a big season.
Jeff Monken, Army (2014-?)
Interesting hire if it were to happen. Monken's name has been thrown around before for another job, it seems he is ready for another challenge but it takes two to tango. He runs a triple option in a era that throwing the ball is key. Can he adapt? A question that was asked when he was considered for the South Carolina job, but I am not sure how much he would adapt or if he would actually adapt and go the Paul Johnson route and play the triple option like he did at Georgia Tech.
Scot Loeffler, Philadelphia Eagles (QB; 2025-?)
A big fan of his. Was the Bowling Green HC from 2019 to 2024 and was able to take a winless team to consistent bowl team. Like Akron, a historically bad program overall but was able to find something out of nothing, especially with solid players who are now NFL players in Karl Brooks and Harold Fannin. He is good friends of Tom Brady who he has worked with, and is currently working with Jalen Hurts. Being able to put that on your resume may be something the Huskies wants as it could be a good recruiting ploy.
Kyle Flood, Texas (OC; 2021-?)
Another Schiano assistant, who is now a long time Sarkisian assistant who followed him to the Falcons, Alabama, and now Texas. Took over for Schiano at Rutgers and had to lead them from the Big East to the Big Ten. Never missed a bowl game and in 2015, was fired after starting 3-6. Wouldn't be a bad hire, kinda would be like hiring Schiano without any baggage.
Could Randomly Pop Up
Steve Englehart, Presbyterian (2022-?)
Now, Englehart could be the next UAB HC, but if not, this would be a great hire taking an up and comer who had a standout year after rebuilding this Blue Hose team. Has no experience in the northeast which could be an issue, but as long as you can hire a coach or two with northeast ties and can bring some of his guys to follow he should be fine short term.
Marcus Satterfield, Nebraska (TE; 2024-?)
This is a name I thrown in here for no reason. Looking for that Walt Bell to UMass type hire and feel like Satterfield is close to it. Was the Cornhuskers OC in 2023 and 2024, but had two lackluster offenses and was demoted mid season for Dana Holgorsen.
Tyler Santucci, Baltimore Ravens (LB; 2025-?)
A Northeast guy through and through. Has SEC and ACC ties, worked for Mike Elko for nearly his etire career and decided in 2024 to branch off and do his own thing coaching a top tier Georgia Tech Defense. He left to go to Baltimore this year and as they struggle with injuries, he may want to go back into the college ranks after this lackluster season. Is Uconn the right fit? Maybe not. He may return as a DC somewhere in the SEC or ACC.
Old Heads Want Back In
Chip Kelly, former Oregon (2009-12) and UCLA (2018-23) Head Coach
Though he has been a head coach in college at West Coach schools, he is a northeast guy born and raised in New Hampshire and was Ryan Day's OC when Day was in college at New Hampshire. He prioritized nutrition and speed and brought that to the college landscape and changed how coaches coach and train and brought it into the NFL, now that everyone does that, his secret trick has became stale and he has shown his inability to adapt when he was at UCLA.
Frank Reich, former Indianapolis Colts Head Coach (2018-22)
After spending this year as the Stanford interim, he may want to stay in college and coach his own team. UConn may be a good fit for him, but the lack of college experience concerns me on a recruiting standpoint, if he can hire a good staff, all of my concerns changes.
Dave Clawson, former Wake Forest Head Coach (2014-24)
A really good coach who's coaching got stale in a private school in the ACC. He also struggled in the transfer portal, because he was at Wake Forest so at UConn he will have less restrictions which he may be able to regain his success he had once.
Pat Fitzgerald, former Northwestern Head Coach (2006-22)
Longtime Wildcats HC who was fired for hazing allegations that he was apparently aware of and had no part in. A big fan of his coaching, would love to see him get a second chance but don't know if he will in the FBS level anytime soon.
Brian Kelly, former Notre Dame (2010-21) and LSU (2022-25) Head Coach
A Massachusetts native, feel like he would think of UCon as a premier school with a need of someone to build the football program up. This is a great bounce back job. He doesn't need the money, they settled the firing lawsuit, it's just a matter if he wants to coach again and not where.
There is my list. Got a handful of names on this list, exactly around the number that I like. An update of a few jobs while I was working on this. Auburn, Arkansas, and Florida have all named their next head coaches, while LSU and Ole Miss is getting messy with Kiffin telling his own staff to either get on the plane or you are left without a job. A messy situation down in Mississippi. Either way, let me know your thoughts about who you think will be the next UConn HC!