UCLA Football: 3 bold predictions for Week 5 battle with Colorado
3. Jim Mora Jr. is fired after the game
OK, I don’t usually write about coaches being let go because I’m a coach and we’re all either fired or about to be. However, it seems inevitable that Mora is let go if he loses to Colorado and makes it three losses in a row.
Mora has had a weird ride as a head coach both in the NFL and in the college ranks. He was once the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and was fired after posting a 26-22 winning record with the franchise. He then became an assistant on the Seattle Seahawks staff under Mike Holmgren, before being named the coach-in-waiting, then the head coach in 2009. After a 5-11 season with the Seahawks, he was fired and replaced by Pete Carroll.
Related Story: Breaking down three top offensive plays from Week 4
Flash forward and Mora is hired by the UCLA Bruins to right the ship that had fallen on hard times. Mora has posted a winning record in Los Angeles, too, but slipped to 4-8 in 2016 and is 2-2 now.
If the Bruins lose to the Buffs like I predict, Mora could see his tenure end during the Josh Rosen era. While the offense has been great with Rosen as the quarterback, Mora is a defensive coach and the defense has slipped drastically.
Think about this: if the Aggies don’t fall apart and let UCLA back into that game, the Bruins are currently 1-3. I’m sure that’s on the minds of boosters in the City of Angels who want to compete with the crosstown Trojans.