Mora adds general manager, zeroes in on offensive coordinator
Jim Mora is moving quickly to assemble his Uconn football coaching staff, naming Preston Pehrson to the position of general manager and closing in on an agreement with Maine head coach Nick Charlton to become the Huskies’ offensive coordinator.
Pehrson, 37, was the director of recruiting at Texas Tech for past three years. Before that, he worked in a similar capacity at Houston and Navy. At Uconn he’ll likely be organizing camps and recruiting visits, among other duties. A college baseball player, he played two years in the Baltimore Orioles’ farm system.
“Preston possesses a relentless work ethic and has a variety of experiences and knowledge that will help to enhance and improve our recruiting operation,” Mora said in a statement from Uconn. “This is a critical position for our program, and I know Preston is the right man for the job.”
The hiring of Charlton is not finalized but was close on Tuesday afternoon, according to Uconn sources. He would be a considered a coup for Uconn and critical in upgrading the offense, particularly the quarterback position.
Maine made Charlton the youngest head coach in Division I when he was promoted from offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in December 2018 at age 30. His teams were among the most potent offenses in FCS, averaging 296.5 passing yards and 29.5 points per game in 2019, his first season. In three seasons, Maine was 14-13, with a win over FBS Umass this past season.
Prior to joining Maine, Charlton was a grad assistant at Boston College, working with Steve Addazio and Ryan Day.
Mora, who was hired Nov. 11 and officially took over on Sunday, has made numerous scholarship offers nationwide recently. But true to his stated plans, Mora has visited Connecticut high schools and watched games.
On Monday, Mora visited Windsor High, known for producing Nfl-caliber talent and recently offered scholarships to Loomis Chaffee cornerback Da’quan Gonzales and safety Derek Spearman, Avon Old Farms safety Christian Lebrun, Danbury OT/DT Ja’shon Little and Norwalk star running back Cam Edwards.
Meanwhile, three more players announced they are leaving Uconn and entering the NCAA transfer portal, including wide receiver Cam Hairston, defensive lineman Justin Moore and offensive lineman Femi Sakiri.