Candidates to Replace Les Miles at LSU
By Scotty Nola
Major College Head Coaches: UCLA Head Coach Jim Mora
Oct 22, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora looks on during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Mora is a name most LSU fans are familiar with. His father coached the Saints into their first ever playoff appearances and the son, current UCLA Head Coach Jim L Mora was a Saints assistant for five years.
Mora has a wealth of pro experience and has done a good job at UCLA. He has recruited highly ranked classes and star athletes like All-World linebacker Myles Jack and highly regarded freshman QB Josh Rosen.
Mora looks a lot like former LSU coach Nick Saban. Like Mora, Saban was a defensive coach with an NFL pedigree; and Saban also coached at a major conference school where he did well but was blocked by close proximity to a traditional powerhouse.
For Saban, the local rival was Michigan — and for Mora, it’s crosstown rival USC.
Mora is limited in what he can accomplish in USC’s shadow and may be willing to move to a school where he will have a better chance of winning a championship.
The main negative for Mora is another trait he shares with Nick Saban: the former Atlanta Falcons head coach (2004-06) is a hot candidate every time an NFL job comes open.
Mora is a proven recruiter and a proven winner, with two double-digit win totals in four years at UCLA. He has both NFL and college experience. and he has a solid Louisiana connection.
He would be a top candidate as soon as word came down Les Miles was finished.
Other Major College Program Head Coaches to Consider:
The top two that come to mind are Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney and Utah Coach Kyle Wittingham. Swinney is a top coach at a major school but could be persuaded with the right deal. He is a top recruiter and proven winner but he is also an Alabama alumni who played under Bear Bryant and I would not expect him to leave Clemson for any other school.
Current Utah head coach and former USFL New Orleans Breakers linebacker Kyle Wittingham is another hot major program candidate. He has done well at Utah but he has not been able to recruit top athletes and that is a concern.
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