Mora hoping to follow in his father's footsteps
February 07, 2003
Jim Mora Jr. told his dad about 20 years ago that he wanted to coach. The veteran football coach turned to his son and said, "Are you crazy?"
The inherited madness for football has led Mora here, a step away from becoming head coach of the 49ers. He is a man many feel is the most viable candidate.
Mora spoke to the media Thursday night as one of three NFL candidates for the 49ers' head-coaching job. Jets defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell met with owner John York and general manager Terry Donahue on Wednesday, and Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache is due in today.
As a 49ers coach since 1997, the team's defensive coordinator had no need to tour the facility. He did, however, have a sit-down with York and went to dinner with him Thursday night.
"We were trying to get to know each other on a personal level," Mora said. The two discussed how they met their wives, among other topics. "Stuff you don't talk about when you are game-planning for the Rams," Mora said.
As the son of Jim Mora, who coached the Saints and Colts until his retirement last year, he has been around the game his entire life.
"It's put food in my mouth and shoes on my feet," said Mora Jr., a fact that has not been lost on his players.
"I think Jim is a great guy and a player's coach," 49ers safety Zack Bronson said. "I have no doubt in my mind he would be successful (as a head coach). I think it's a tradition for him. He has been bred to do this."
If he gets the job, Mora says he will be more aggressive on offense. "I think it's important to have an attacking offense," he said. "We have been an organization that gets a team down and goes for the throat."
He expressed his offensive philosophy to quarterback Jeff Garcia on Wednesday, and to wide receiver Terrell Owens before Owens departed for last Sunday's Pro Bowl. Mora has said he has spoken to several players about what he would do as head coach.
Safety Tony Parrish has played for both Mora and Blache and refuses to say who he would prefer as a head coach.
"This is my sixth head coach in four years," Parrish said. "You don't know how a coordinator is going to react as a head coach until he does it."
Cottrell left town Thursday, happy with his interview.
"The process has been very thorough and very rewarding," Cottrell said.
BRIEFLY: Parrish is recovering from surgery to reattach a ligament in his thumb, and will likely have an elbow operation later in the week, but neither injury should keep him out for long. . . . Former 49ers linebackers coach Richard Smith, who verbally agreed to the same job in Seattle, has gone with Steve Mariucci to Detroit to be a Lions assistant. Former 49ers offensive assistant Andy Sugarman will perform the same job in Detroit.
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