Mora hires Shearer as special teams coordinator

New UConn football coach Jim Mora is turning to a familiar face to fill out his staff, hiring Husky alum Doug Shearer as special teams coordinator.

Shearer — who played at Shelton High School and was a later a graduate assistant at UConn — spent the last three seasons in the same position for Miami of Ohio.

“I’m happy to welcome Doug back to UConn, and I know how excited he is about rejoining his alma mater,” Mora said in a release. “Special teams are critical to the success of any program, and Doug’s special teams units at Miami were extremely efficient and impactful. Doug is also a genuine individual who is driven to help student-athletes reach their potential, and I can’t wait for him to get started.”

The Redhawks went 7-6 (5-3 MAC) and beat North Texas in the Frisco Football Classic this season.

In 2013, Shearer served as an offensive/special teams graduate assistant at UConn under Paul Pasqualoni and T.J. Weist. From there, he went to North Carolina State where he was a was a quality control assistant for special teams. In 2015, the Wolfpack finished top-20 nationally in both kickoff return and punt return average.

“I am thankful to Coach Mora for the opportunity to join his coaching staff and come back to UConn," Shearer said, adding, “I couldn’t be more excited to get to Storrs and start building relationships with our players and coaches. Go Huskies!”

Special teams was a bright spot during an otherwise dismal 2021 season for the Huskies (1-11), ranking 48th in FBS in kickoff return average, 66th in kickoff return defense, and 21st in average punt return. Freshman Brian Brewton returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Freshman kicker/punter Joe McFadden voiced his approval of the hire, tweeting “Let’s ride.”