UCLA and head football coach Jim Mora have agreed to a two-year contract extension through the 2021 season.
According to a UCLA press release, "In his first four seasons at UCLA, Mora has equaled the school record for most victories over a four-year span (37) while leading the Bruins to wins in 11 of their last 12 non-conference matchups, four consecutive bowl appearances, two school-record tying 10-win seasons (the eighth and ninth in UCLA history) and more than 70 team and individual school records."
There can be no doubt that Mora's leadership has reversed the downward trend of the Dorrell and Neuheisel eras. At the same time, many Bruin fans and alumns are still waiting for the football team to make the step to the next level.
There will be several opportunities for this year's team to do that in the first half of the season this year. On September 3rd, the Bruins head to College Station, TX to face former Bruin offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and the Texas A&M Aggies. UCLA will open Pac-12 play by hosting Stanford on September 24th and Arizona on October 1st.
Personally, while I'd like to see a victory over Stanford as well as a win over each team we should beat, the thing I like most about Coach Mora is the leadership he provides to our student-athletes who are in the football program.
And, speaking of Mazzone, Mora likely earned this extension by replacing Mazzone's five-play offense with a new offensive system led by new OC Kennedy Polamalu, which appears to be more suited to the talents of Bruin QB Josh Rosen.
Go Bruins!!!