More Mora

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 2:56 PM PDT Comment 25 comments

I am sure a lot of you are disapointed that Jim Mora has reportedly taken himself out of contention to be the next football coach at Washington. I think Jim would have been a great fit because he would have united the Husky Nation during this difficult time.

A poster named Djohnson (not my friend Derek Johnson) insists that is isn't over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? I think in the next couple of hours Mora will release a written statement and that will be that.

While I wanted Mora to be the guy it really doesn't bumm me out too much that he has decided to stick with the Seahawks. Washington is going to a hire a great coach no matter what happens. There are plenty of great candidates out there and as I pointed out earlier this week historically the Huskies seldom have ended up with their first choice anyway.

I was talking with Nathan Ware this morning and we both think Washington will end up with a great coach. There are just way too many qualified candidates out there for them to screw the pooch on this one.

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Not that worried...

He was a great name but to big of an unknown. He hasn’t coached college in a long time and his def. backs are getting destroyed this year. He would be a great name with little substance. Not that disappointed.

by bigdave967 on Oct 31, 2008 12:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I keep seeing Brian Billick...

what is the word on him John?

by bigdave967 on Oct 31, 2008 12:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Not yet

Speculation is rampant and anyone without a job is going to be obviously interested in job that will pay $2 mill per year.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 12:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

If Mora is out

There are many highly qualified candidates to pick from. But I think Hill would be “screwing the pooch”.

P.S. – I know I’m part of the ignorant masses, but I’m pretty sure it was the Japanese that bombed Pearl Harbor!

"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"

by Lear Pilot on Oct 31, 2008 12:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.

It’s an Animal House reference. :-)

And a good one, I might add!

by busplunger on Oct 31, 2008 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lear...tough to say

I would prefer a younger coach.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 12:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hill

I could see him having success here, I agree, would prefer a little bit younger, but definitely not Kiffin young.
I just don’t see Hill exciting recruits and boosters and getting this thing back on track.

"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"

by Lear Pilot on Oct 31, 2008 1:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Kiffin young

Count me as a guy that wouldn’t like the hiring of Kiffin.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 1:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

candidates

What about Jim Leavitt? He has that outsized extroverted personality like Pete Carroll and has built a successful program from literally nothing in ten years, in a state where Florida, FSU and Miami were already recruiting.
No west coast experience, but he sure can recruit.

by abg on Oct 31, 2008 1:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes and no

While I would have liked Mora to the next head coach this isn’t the end of the world and the denials aren’t written as “no way in hell” yet.

Tedford is my personal #2 guy

by T9ODawg on Oct 31, 2008 1:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yep

You can find any number of examples in the last several years of coaches denying any interest in a job only to take it later. Mora’s “denial” might be genuine. It might also be the cover that the UW and Mora need to continue negotiating without the media making a frenzy over it.

If Mora is indeed out of the running, bummer. But I’d be consoled just fine with Tedford…

by kirkd on Oct 31, 2008 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leavitt came up before

… seems like the wrong kind of fit for us. I know I brought up Billick a while ago as a “dark horse”, but maybe it is time we talked about the pros and cons on him. I noted before his west coast upbringing, his college experience as the Stanford Asst Head Coach under Denny Green, his cerebral approach to the game. He has a fiery personality, is more of a straight shooter with the media and would definitely bring swagger. He has a super bowl for crying out loud and is an offensive guru. There is a lot to like about him as a candidate.

"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.

by Gekko Mojo on Oct 31, 2008 1:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Tedford

Tedford would be a great get!

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 1:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

leavitt

a little googling reveals that he’ll never leave Tampa.
Never mind, as Emily Litella used to say.

by abg on Oct 31, 2008 1:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree, Tedford would be a steal.

"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.

by Gekko Mojo on Oct 31, 2008 1:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Head coach

I think Muschamp could have possibly more upside than Mora. I agree John that the end is not here.

by dadcojohn on Oct 31, 2008 1:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I haven't said there's still hope of Mora

the guy “djohnson” is not me. I am not claiming that the hope for Mora is still alive. JohnB, please ammend your above post to reflect that djohnson is not me. thanks.
Derek

by Derek Johnson on Oct 31, 2008 2:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry Derek

Will do!

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 2:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yea, the Japanese bombed P-Harbor

by RunningBackU on Oct 31, 2008 3:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Animal House

I’m always amused when people don’t get that reference…

by kirkd on Oct 31, 2008 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Funny Kirk

I thought everyone knew that one….maybe we are all getting old. Once again Kirk thanks for coming over here to participate you always bring a lot of good stuff to the table.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 31, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is this djohnson a fake?

Trying to ride the coattails of Derek Johnson’s fame and fortune maybe? A bit fishy to me….

Seriously, I think all he was saying is that nothing’s out of play until it really is. Take, for instance, the myriad of ways Holmgrem’s interview with Mahler today could be interpreted. Beside that, Nick Saban, anyone?

Mora would be a guy I’d like to see here. But he’s one of several guys that would be good gets and good fits. Really, if not for his comments on KJR last year, would he even be a candidate? If Pinkel hadn’t coached under Don James, would he even be a candidate?

The right guy is the right guy, with or without Husky ties. Get the right guy.

by Sundodger on Oct 31, 2008 4:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's be clear: Derek Johnson is not me

I’m not exactly claiming hope is alive, I’m just saying when Mora uses the present tense to describe his candidacy it leaves open the question of whether he will be a candidate in the future. “I am not a candidate (but if Scott Woodward calls me I will be one).”

When he claims definitively that he’s not a candidate, he’s already begun splitting hairs. I mean, candidacy for a job can evolve from at least two places: the employer and the potential employee. Mora has no control over whether Woodward thinks he’s a candidate, so he can only mean he doesn’t consider himself a candidate. Of course, I don’t consider myself one either, but that’s only because the UW hasn’t asked. You see how this (stupid) game is played. It depends not so much on the meaning of “is” as on the difference between “is” and “will be.”

If he doesn’t want the job, he wouldn’t say “I’m not a candidate,” he’d say, “I will be coaching the Seahawks next year.”

Now, I understand Hugh Millen has stated that Mora is off the table, so maybe Mora just phrased his text message loosely. I don’t know.

Personally, I’m a little mystified about the Mora movement. He seems like a great, enthusiastic guy and a purple-blooded Husky, but I’m not sure how the rumor got started that he’s a great college football head coach. Maybe, maybe not. There’s so much luck involved, the uncertainty around hiring coaches is very high.

by djohnson on Oct 31, 2008 4:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs