Former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim Mora has accused rival programs of cheating by tampering with his players after the deadline to enter the winter transfer portal.
Mora is the head coach of UConn, leading the Huskies to a highly impressive 9-4 season, culminating in a 27-14 Fenway Bowl victory over North Carolina on Saturday. But the 63-year-old says the success has led to other teams trying to lure his players away, violating NCAA rules in the process.
Saturday was also the deadline for players to enter the winter transfer portal, but Mora says other programs have been in contact with his players in the days since in an attempt to tempt them away from Connecticut. Mora, whose father Jim Sr. was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, issued a crystal clear message to the schools sniffing around his players.
“A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken NCAA rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours,” he wrote on X. “We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable.
“We are excited that weve 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.”
Mora made clear he is a big advocate of the transfer portal, but he says he cannot stand by and allow rival coaches to break the rules.
“Not sure how we fix it, I do know we dont ignore it,” he continued. “We will expose any program and coach that violates NCAA rules by tampering with our players. It makes players anxious, it puts a dent in the lessons parents have taught them about honesty and integrity.
“Im 100 per cent for the portal and NIL/revenue share. Im 100 per cent against grown men cheating the rules and teaching players horrible life lessons.”
Mora, who had stints as head coach of the Seahawks and Falcons in the 2000s, was in charge of UCLA from 2012-17. After a stint in the ESPN broadcasting booth, Mora returned to coaching with UConn in 2021 before behind named head coach the following season.
He has sparked a major turnaround in the Huskies’ fortunes, securing their first winning season since 2010. And Mora’s efforts have been rewarded with a contract extension until 2028 that will increase his annual salary to $2.5 million, according to ESPN.
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