STORRS, Conn. — UConn athletics director David Benedict announced a two-year contract extension for the head football coach Jim Mora on Saturday.

Mora’s contract extension runs through December 31, 2028. The contract is worth $10.01 million over the remaining four years and includes the opportunity to earn additional compensation in the form of performance-based incentives and a retention bonus.

“Three years ago I set a task Jim Mora “He took on the challenge of leading our football team back to success, and through his experience, energy and leadership he did just that,” Benedict said. “He took our program to the post-season bowl game twice and just led our team to one of the best seasons in UConn football history and built momentum to propel this program forward. I look forward to him leading our football team in the coming years.

“I would like to thank David Benedict, Radenka Maric and the University of Connecticut leadership for their trust in me and their commitment to our football program,” Mora said. “When I got here I talked about where we wanted to take this program and we’ve made a lot of progress, but we still have a lot of work to do. The commitment and dedication of the university and the athletic department make me excited about the future for our football team.

Mora has the Huskies participating in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl game after one of the most successful campaigns in UConn program history. The third-year head coach led UConn to an 8-4 record this fall and back to a bowl game for the second time in his tenure. UConn’s eight wins are the most for the program since 2010 and also secure its first winning season since this season. The Huskies enjoyed a five-win turnaround from last season and returned to winning ways at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, posting a 6-1 record on home turf this fall.

Mora and the Huskies will look to pick up win number nine on Saturday when they take on North Carolina. The win marks just the third time in program history that a UConn team has won nine games, the last two coming in 2007 and 2003.

Both UConn’s offense and defense made great strides in 2024 under Coach Mora and his staff. The Husky offensive attack scored 388 points (32.3 ppg) this season, the most points since the 2009 season and the fifth-most in program history. The ground game produced 2,380 yards, the fifth-highest total in program history, while ranking 23rd in the NCAA in rushing yards per game (198.3). On defense, UConn allowed 286 points (23.8 ppg), the fewest points given up since the 2015 season.

For his efforts, Mora was named the 2024 Head Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. The 2024 season marks Coach Mora’s fifth winning season during his tenure as a collegiate coach. This will be the sixth postseason bowl appearance for a Mora-coached team during his nine seasons at UCLA and UConn combined.