UCLA lost to in-state rival USC on Saturday night, and it turns out that was the last game Jim Mora coached with the Bruins.
On Sunday, UCLA announced that Mora has been fired.
“Making a coaching change is never easy, but it’s an especially difficult decision when you know that a coach has given his all to our University,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. “Jim helped reestablish our football program, and was instrumental in so many ways in moving the program forward. While his first four seasons at UCLA were very successful, the past two seasons have not met expectations. We thank Jim and his family for his service to our school and his unquestionable commitment to our student-athletes.”
Mora was hired by UCLA in 2012 and enjoyed a run of moderate success during his first few years, transforming a mediocre program into a contender. However, the Bruins finished with a 4-8 record in 2016, and they fell to 5-6 this season with their loss to USC.
It will cost UCLA somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 million to buy out Mora’s contract, so it’s possible they already have their sights set on another candidate. It won’t be long before Chip Kelly’s name starts getting tossed around.
