After two weeks of searching, the UCLA Bruins found their next head football coach. The Bruins are set to hire former NFL head coach Jim L. Mora on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Mora last coached in 2009, his only season with the Seattle Seahawks after coaching the Atlanta Falcons from 2004 to 2006. Mora was 31-33 in his four seasons as an NFL head coach.
Mora, who has been an analyst on the NFL Network for the last two years, met with UCLA officials twice in the last two weeks per Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times. As Foster pointed out, Mora is the first coach hired by the Bruins without UCLA ties since Red Foster in 1949.
The Bruins were 21-29 in four seasons under Rick Neuheisel, who as fired on November 28 after the Bruins lost 50-0 to the USC Trojans. Neuheisel coached UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game four days later, a game won by the Oregon Ducks 49-31. UCLA will play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on December 31 in San Francisco against the Illinois Fighting Illini, and will be coached on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Mike Johnson.
UCLA's first choice in their head coaching search was Chris Petersen of the Boise St. Broncos, but he decided to stay in Idaho. The Bruins had also expressed interest in Al Golden of the Miami Hurricanes and Kevin Sumlin of the Houston Cougars before deciding on Mora.
Jim Mora Sr., also a longtime NFL head coach, was a UCLA assistant coach in 1974.
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