Falcons fire Mora after disappointing 7-9 season
Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:34 pm
Falcons fire Mora after disappointing 7-9 season
Associated Press
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta fired coach Jim Mora on Monday, just two years after he led the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game.
The decision to dump the fiery coach followed two straight disappointing seasons. The Falcons lost six of their final eight games in 2005 to miss the playoffs, and they finished 7-9 this season by losing seven of the last nine contests.
Owner Arthur Blank made the announcement at the team's suburban training complex.
Atlanta went into the final weekend with a slim chance to slip into the playoffs with a .500 record. That ended Saturday night when the New York Giants won at Washington; the Falcons closed the season Sunday with a meaningless 24-17 loss at Philadelphia.
Mora's final game was in the same stadium where the Falcons lost to the Eagles for the NFC championship at the end of the 2004 season, coming up one victory short of the Super Bowl.
The 45-year-old Mora, son of longtime NFL coach Jim Mora, went 26-22 in three seasons as Atlanta's coach.
A former defensive coordinator in San Francisco, the younger Mora led the Falcons to the NFC South title in his rookie season. The team slumped to 8-8 a year ago, then endured his first losing record.
"This was an extremely difficult decision for us," Blank said in a statement before holding a news conference to announce the decision. "We had the highest hopes and aspirations for a long run with Jim as our coach, but we feel this decision is in the best long-term interests of our franchise. I have great respect for Jim's passion for the game, and we wish Jim and his family all of the best."
Mora had two years left on his contract, which was extended before this season. He could not immediately be reached for comment; a message was left on his cell phone.
