After Jim Mora suddenly left the program to become the head coach at Colorado State, UConn has now hired former Toledo head coach Jason Candle to lead the program.
Becoming official on Saturday morning, the two sides agreed to a six-year deal through the 2031 season.
“I am honored to be named the head football coach at the University of Connecticut,” Candle said in a statement. “UConn is a prestigious institution and I’m grateful to [UConn athletic director] David Benedict and the leadership team for entrusting me with this opportunity. Nicole, Avery, Cameron, Colton, and I are excited to join the Husky family and become part of the Storrs community. UConn has all the ingredients for success—outstanding facilities, passionate fans, and a commitment to excellence. I look forward to building on the incredible momentum here and developing a program that builds young men of character and makes our fans and alumni proud.”
During Candle’s 10-year tenure at Toledo, no team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) won more games than his. In fact, the Rockets never had a losing season under Candle.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jason Candle as the next head coach of UConn Football,” Benedict said in a statement. “Jason’s track record speaks for itself — he is the winningest coach in Toledo history with 81 victories, two MAC Championships, and a program that has consistently competed at the highest level. He has built a culture of excellence both on and off the field, developing young men who succeed at the next level. Jason’s ability to recruit elite talent, develop players, and win championships makes him the ideal leader for our football program. We are excited to welcome Jason, his wife Nicole, their daughter Avery, and sons Cameron and Colton to Storrs and UConn Nation. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of UConn Football under his leadership.”
Candle’s accolades do not stop there. He won the MAC Coach of the Year award twice (2017, 2023). The latter year was a historic one for Toledo, as Candle led the Rockets to an 11-3 overall record while going undefeated in the MAC for the first time (8-0). Because of the team’s success during the magical 2023 campaign, Toledo earned its first top-25 ranking since 2015.
“It starts with recruiting really good young men that the community in the surrounding areas can be proud of,” Candle said to the media on Monday.
With all the accolades earned in the MAC, Candle turns his focus to being an FBS Independent at UConn, which could be a dealbreaker for some candidates.
“I don’t know what the future looks like from any of that,” Candle said. “You want to be at a place where there’s alignment, and you feel like you can win.”
Candle has sent a plethora of players to the NFL. During his time at Toledo, he saw 10 of his former players selected in the NFL Draft. The most notable one was cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who became the first Toledo player drafted in the first round in 31 years (22nd overall, picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024). Other players who have seen success at the professional level include running back Kareem Hunt, the 2017 PFWA NFL Rookie of the Year, as well as former All-Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson and rookie defensive end Darius Alexander.
“Our guys don’t leave,” Candle said. “When you have that luxury, and you’re able to retain them that way, it’s really easy to continue to cycle in high school player after high school player and really put raw energy into development.”
With a handful of decommits and players entering the transfer portal, along with the inevitable departures of Joe Fagnano and Skyler Bell, it is important to note that Toledo held the No. 1 recruiting class in the MAC in 2024 and has accomplished that feat seven times during the 10 years at Toledo.
“You’ve got to work hard at building those relationships,” Candle said. “We’ve got to earn those players’ trust. This is not my program. This is their program. They’ve put a lot of time and energy and sweat and equity into building that, and we want to be able to provide a vision that would want them to stay. Some will, some won’t, and then from there we’ve got to fill the holes that we lose with our own guys.
Candle had been in Toledo since 2009, serving as an assistant coach until 2015. During his college years, he worked with new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, the latter having a lot of praise for the Huskies hiring his former teammate.
It was important for Benedict and UConn to hit a home run in search of Mora’s replacement. With Candle’s record of accomplishment, the hire has the potential to reach that standard. The last time a successful UConn football head coach left for another program, the Huskies fell into irrelevance for over a decade. That was a deal-breaker for power conferences considering adding Connecticut.
“How do you hire a head football coach?” Dan Toscano, UConn’s Board of Trustees Chair, said in his speech on Monday. “It goes well beyond wins and losses. We aim high, and we win. But we win the right way. Students First is our north star. Coach Candle is the right person to lead our football program as we continue our descent.”
The Candle era starts now with recruiting, but offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis will run the show for the Huskies’ second consecutive appearance at the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. Candle’s first game as head coach will be on Sept. 5, 2026, against Lafayette.
“It’s a proud day to be a Husky,” Candle said. “I’m super excited to be your football coach. I can’t wait to get this thing kicked off. So that being said, go Huskies.”