OT - Sources: Texas eyes UCLA's Mora
The University of Texas has expressed strong interest in UCLA coach Jim Mora as a possible replacement for Mack Brown, and the school and representatives of Mora have had conversations as recently as Thursday, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
A source close to Mora denies there has been contact.
Link: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10233431/sources-texas-l…
This would be a very good hire for Texas in my opinion.
January 2nd, 2014 at 7:59 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^
UCLA last five seasons without Mora:
6-7
4-8
7-6
4-8
6-8
UCLA with Jim Mora:
9-5
10-3 with a huge bowl win 42-14 over Virginia Tech.
Exactly what more does he need to do to impress you? A lot of his best playmakers are guys he just recruited. He also has NFL head coaching experience, which is something players look for. He runs a good program and as far as I know he is clean. So what isn't impressive?
Edit: UCLA also dominated Nebraska this season. One of only two Big Ten teams with a bowl win. They also lost by 3 last year in the Pac-12 Championship to Stanford.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:10 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:09 PM ^
Fer sure. Thank god we got rid of Lloyd Carr after his 9-4 and 8-4 seasons in '95 and '96. Dude wasn't a national championship coach at all.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
after 2 seasons at Michigan.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:46 PM ^
I'm really sick of the whole the PAC 12 is significantly bettern than the BIG meme. The pac 12 has 92 wins this year, while the BIG has 88 wins, with a possible 89th win coming up, hardly "significanlty" better. Head to head the pac 12 has 3 wins and 3 lossess against the BIG, and The BIG champ just knocked off the pac 12 champ. How is this "significantly better"?
January 3rd, 2014 at 2:51 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
You have to be joking.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:04 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:22 PM ^
You have absurdly high standards for being stunned.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
Do we have to turn every single thread into a "our coaches suck, fire Borges" meme? It's beyond tiring.
January 3rd, 2014 at 3:13 AM ^
Well it's either that or MSU related, take your pick.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
Didn't Mora sign an extension as rumors regarding the Washington opening were swirling last month? I wonder if he would jump so soon, and after he was rather explicit in December that he was quite happy at UCLA. That being said, he also seems like a pretty good evaluator of talent, which is something I am sure Texas wants with its home-grown pool of resources.
January 3rd, 2014 at 1:36 AM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:13 PM ^
...is that UCLA doesn't put a lot of money toward it's football program. I think that's maybe the No. 1 reason it's not a destination job.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
Their football facilities are a horrendous joke. Even their hoops facilities are way behind the times.
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:41 PM ^
Pauley underwent a $136M renovation recently. I haven't been over there to check it out yet, but I hope their hoops facilities are up to snuff after spending that much money.
January 3rd, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^
The UC school system doesn't throw cash around like the non-sate schools. Assistants don't make crap in comparison to other schools. Even if he does love it there if Texas calls a coach has to listen. IIt's one of the very few schools that is almost guaranteed to get their 1st choice.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:50 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:54 PM ^
January 3rd, 2014 at 12:26 AM ^
Given that they've been looking for a coach for three weeks now, maybe he's their best option?
January 3rd, 2014 at 12:48 AM ^
Who is this harbough you speak of?
January 3rd, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^
This post was a real waist of my time.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:04 PM ^
Is Ricky Pitino the son of the waitress?
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
Make the free throws. Geez
Sorry wrong thread.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
January 3rd, 2014 at 12:50 AM ^
Muschamp is probably begging for a chance to leave the swamp and come back.
January 3rd, 2014 at 4:04 AM ^
Beggars can't be choosers.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
if he left UCLA for Texas. But if Hundley opts for the NFL he may feel his stock will never be higher a bigger program with Texas's cash isn't really out there.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:37 PM ^
I don't think Mora would leave UCLA for Texas. He's probably just going to use this as an opportunity to boost his pay at UCLA.
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
LOLing at the comments earlier in the thread disparing Mora JR. UCLA started 3 true freshman on the OL. He was 9-5 and 10-3 his first 2 seasons. Again this season with 3 true freshman starting - they destroyed Nebraska WITH Martinez by 20 in Nebraska. The 3 losses were all to the top teams in the Pac 12 - Az St, Oregon, Stanford. The latter 2 on the road. ASU by 5 at home. With 3 freshmen starters on the OL. Did I mention he made UCLA a functional team with a high powered offense most games with 3 freshman on the OL? And had his team inspired in a bowl game to run all over VA Tech? Unlike the disaster that happened here.
I assume he goes back to the NFL at some point but I'd like to see him in AA if Hoke does not work out ...
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:15 PM ^
If Mora goes to TX, maybe we can snag his OL coach.
I know, I know, it's unpossible to have freshmen OLs who play well.
January 3rd, 2014 at 4:09 AM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:03 PM ^
#1 I think the pool of excellent coaching candidates is small. Even guys like Sumlin you wonder if he is a Manziel creation.
#2 Of those guys most are at schools with way less pressure but the pay is not far behnd. Urban is an obvious 2nd choice to Saban but has less pressure at OSU than he would at Texas. Dantonio at this point I am putting as one of the top 5 coaches in the country (name me 3 guys after Saban and Meyer you'd take over Dantonio) and is now the Bear Bryant of East Lansing and will have statues built for him. Just got a big pay raise that sounds like $4Mish. If he goes 9-3 next year he goes 9-3; they wont ask for him to be fired in 2 years if he doesnt have a NC like they will in Texas. So who else do you have left out there that is elite - its not a big pool.
#3 - The latter part of my point #2. A lot of coaches can do something similar to what they could do at Texas without the intense pressure. I know Mack Brown got a long time but he was riding the Vince Young era wave here lately. The next guy I'd imagine if he is not competing for a NC in 3-4 years will be canned. So you are asking elite or near elite coaches who are only considered because they have their own programs in a good place to trade that for the intense scrutiny of Texas. Maybe that fits a guy like Charlie Strong as Louisville is ...well Louisville but most of the other candidates have their programs in a better spot than Texas right now, without the intenses pressure. And most are paid pretty well. So is an extra $800K a year or $1.2M a year worth a short half life at Texas?
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^
According to Scout:
LSU's past two classes in 2012 and 2013: #6 and #9
FSU's past two classes in 2012 and 2013: #11 and #16
Auburn's past two classes in 2012 and 2013: #8 and #14
UCLA's past two classes in 2012 and 2013: #12 and #3
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:35 PM ^
January 3rd, 2014 at 12:03 AM ^
Elite coaches in college at top BCS programs almost never leave to take another college job. With the exception of Meyer and Saban most of the top college coaches worked their way up the chain, either by being HC's at smaller schools or as coordinators at big time programs. (Both Meyer and Saban worked their way up the chain initially but Meyer took a year off and Saban was in the pros for a couple years)
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
I am starting to wonder if Texas actually has a deal with Saban and they are waiting until the Sugar Bowl ends to announce it. I have seen a lot of names bandied about, but the search seems oddly slow. A lot of names, but no real action happening.
January 3rd, 2014 at 4:11 AM ^
Pipe dream.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
I am starting to wonder if Texas actually has a deal with Saban and they are waiting until the Sugar Bowl ends to announce it. I have seen a lot of names bandied about, but the search seems oddly slow. A lot of names, but no real action happening.
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:11 PM ^
That's because the NFL playoffs have to conclude, and then Jon Gruden can be announced at the next presser in Austin.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:28 PM ^
Since he is apparently interested in the Michigan job, too?
/sarcasm
Thanks. I'll show myself out....
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:40 PM ^
At Texas not only are you at one of the premier jobs in the country, you are the MAN in Austin. At UCLA no matter how well you do you'll always be second fiddle to the basketball squad.