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Should Jim Mora Sink or Swim with Noel Mazzone?

Ambivalent thoughts about whether or not Noel Mazzone should be fired or let go as offensive coordinator at UCLA.

By Nestor
James Snook-US PRESSWIRE

As flagged by JoeBruin15 and number of others in last 24 hours, the 1-9 UConn football program (the Huskies finally got a win this past weekend against Temple - yes, those Owls) are on the market for a new coach. And apparently they are eying Noel Mazzone:

For those who are sick and tired of the predictable swing passes, run up the middle against Ds that have 8 guys stacked in the box etc that comes as good news.

But call me ambivalent about whether or not Mazzone should stay or go. Next Saturday (and next year) is going to be "show-me" season for Mora and his staff. And for Mora to be successful, it may make sense for him to have as much continuity as possible by sticking with the coordinators he hired to start at UCLA.

Now, it may make sense to bring in a legitimate quarterbacks coach (lot of questions surrounding the current one) who can coach-up our red-shirt sophomore with NFL talents, the skills and techniques necessary for success at the next level. But, I am not sure whether wholesale changes in the offensive staff at the top makes much sense right now for UCLA.

Mora has invested a lot in Mazzone. In last two years we have recruited players to fit Mazzone's "system." IMO it is time for Mora to either sink or swim with the coaches, who anchored his initial staff at UCLA.

It's never a good sign if a coach has to can his coordinators or push him to another job to improve the program. It was a bad sign for Karl Dorrell. It was a bad one for Rick Neuheisel. Heck, it was a bad sign for Bob Toledo who scape-goated one coordinator after another on the defensive side of the ball.

So IMO it's up to Mora to get his senior staff on the same page and get the program to rally with a big win this Saturday, and then take care of business from there on to set up a monster "show me" season in his third year at UCLA.

GO BRUINS.

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