Report: OL coach Gordon Sammis to assume OC duties
The Huskies are going internal to fill their latest coordinator opening.
Two days after the news broke of offensive coordinator Nick Charlton’s departure, it appears UConn is handing those duties to Gordon Sammis, who previously was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report it.
Sammis played college football at UVA, graduating in 2007, and was on head coach Jim Mora’s first staff when he came to UConn in 2022. A New Jersey native, Sammis started his coaching career at his alma mater as a graduate assistant before taking on the O-line coaching duties at four different schools starting in 2012: Columbia, VMI, Lafayette, and William & Mary, where he had the top rushing offense in the CAA in 2021.
UConn’s offensive line is one of the major success stories of the Jim Mora era. The group has been performing above average for a G5 program while seeing impressive stability. Two of Sammis’ guys are off to the NFL this season: Christian Haynes, a two-time All-American, and Noel Ofori-Nyadu. Another key starter, center Yakiri Walker, transferred to Colorado. Overall, the group has seen strong retention, returning most of the guys who saw action last season.
Sammis was promoted to add the run game coordinator to his title in 2023 and now takes on the offensive coordinator duties in 2024, making it clear that Mora has progressively placed more faith in this guy’s abilities. With this move, UConn has probably opened up some coaching budget to add to the offensive staff at more junior positions in the near future.
