UConn football coach Jim Mora hires first four assistants, including former Greenwich High coach John Marinelli
New UConn football coach Jim Mora started to build his staff Sunday, announcing the hiring of four assistant coaches, including former Greenwich High coach John Marinelli.
“Coach Mora is a proven head coach with great experience in both the NFL and college football, and I’m excited to be able to learn from him every day and help build this program back to where it belongs,” said Marinelli, who will be the tight ends coach.
None of the 2021 UConn staff will be retained, the school said in a release. That includes UConn interim head coach and defensive coordinator Lou Spanos and analyst Noel Mazzone, who previously worked with Mora at UCLA.
Also hired were linebackers coach Siriki Diabate, running backs coach E.J. Barthel and wide receivers and passing game coordinator John Allen.
Marinelli, 36, who started his collegiate playing career at Fordham before transferring to Trinity College, began coaching as an assistant with his father, longtime New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli. After taking over the football program at Greenwich, John Marinelli went 36-10, including an undefeated Class LL championship team in 2018. He moved to the college ranks in 2019 as an analyst at the University of Arizona and moved to the University of Illinois in 2021 as senior analyst.
Marinelli’s familiarity with football programs in Fairfield County aligns with Mora’s intention to emphasize in-state recruiting.
“John has deep ties to the state of Connecticut, and it is imperative that we keep the best talent in our backyard right here in the Nutmeg State,” Mora said. “He’s an excellent coach, and I know the young men in our program will benefit from his presence.”
Diabate, a 30-year-old Bronx native who played at Colgate, was the linebackers coach at Middle Tennessee State the past five seasons.
“Siriki is an outstanding coach who has a tremendous track record of developing student-athletes into excellent college players,” Mora said. “He is a tireless recruiter who understands firsthand the challenges that student-athletes face, and I know our young men will benefit greatly from his mentorship.”
Barthel, 36, comes to UConn after two seasons as a coaching assistant with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, where he worked with running backs, linemen and in the personnel department. He previously coached at Penn State, Temple, Albany, Howard and William & Mary, where he developed a reputation as a recruiter.
“E.J. will be a great role model and teacher for our student-athletes and is an unrelenting recruiter,” Mora said.
Allen, who began coaching in 1996, is the most experienced of the group. A former head coach at Division II Lock Haven, he most recently worked with former UConn head coach Skip Holtz at Louisiana Tech.
“To find a coach with more experience than John Allen would be a difficult task,” Mora said. “John’s knowledge of the game and coaching acumen will make an immediate impact on the young men in our program, and I know he is going to hit the ground running.”
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com.
