Ex-UCLA HC Jim Mora Jr. Reportedly a Candidate to Replace Mike Leach at WSU

The Washington State football team is in the market for a new head coach after Mike Leach left for Mississippi State, and ex-Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. is reportedly an option.

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated broke the news Thursday.

Mora coached UCLA from 2012 to 2017, going 46-30 overall and 28-25 in Pac-12 play. He went 26-22 with the Atlanta Falcons and led the team to the 2004 NFC Championship Game.

Mora went 5-11 during the 2009 season with Seattle. He served as a television football analyst between his Seahawks and UCLA tenures and landed with ESPN in 2018 in the same capacity.

He has extensive history in the Pac-12. Mora played with the University of Washington from 1980 to 1983 before working as a graduate assistant for his alma mater in 1984. He bounced around the NFL ranks from 1985 to 2003 before taking the Falcons job.

Mora has worked as a college football analyst for ESPN since the end of his UCLA tenure.

He is the son of Jim Mora, best known for coaching the New Orleans Saints (1986-1996) and Indianapolis Colts (1998-2001).

Mora is one of numerous candidates for the WSU job. Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is a possible option, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic also mentioned ex-Florida head coach Jim McElwain.