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UCLA Football: Is 2017 The Year Jim Mora Regains Balance?

By Mike Regalado

Nov 12, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora during a NCAA football game against the Oregon State Beavers at Rose Bowl. UCLA won 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora during a NCAA football game against the Oregon State Beavers at Rose Bowl. UCLA won 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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September 10, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) speaks with head coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu after a touchdown scored against the UNLV Rebels during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
September 10, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) speaks with head coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu after a touchdown scored against the UNLV Rebels during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Is 2017 The Year It All Comes Together For Jim Mora? (Cont.)

With all the changes to the defense since Mora’s tenure began, the offense kept consistency on that side of the line of scrimmage. Noel Mazzone had mastered his spread offense through former QB Brett Hundley and had the pleasure of leading freshman Josh Rosen during the 2015 season, Mazzone’s fourth and last.

Though Rosen blew expectations out of the water as a freshman, the overall product led the Bruins to an 8-5 season with some saying that changes needed to be made with the OC. UCLA Football fans did not have to wait long as Mazzone accepted the vacant OC spot with Texas A&M.

Just as the Bruins were getting settled on defense, the offense was thrown for a loop. Mora promoted RB coach Kennedy Polamalu for the 2016 season who brought in an entirely new system… which failed miserably. UCLA’s new power-based offense brought issues with blocking on the line, had no run game, had no receiving game and to make matters worse, Josh Rosen was done halfway through the season with a shoulder injury.

That led to a 4-8 season and the some fans calling for Mora’s termination.

Mora was not going anywhere, as previously noted. After success in his first four seasons, he had enough credit stored to continue his reign through 2017, but things had to change. Mora fired Polamalu the Sunday after that horrible loss to Cal in the season finale.

Mora once again went out and about to search for a coach rather than promoting from within. He hired Michigan’s QB coach Jedd Fisch who had success under Jim Harbaugh. Fans that never heard of Fisch scratched their heads wondering if this was going to be another bust of a hire. One positive note from this came came when Alabama’s Nick Saban was looking to hire a new OC and had Fisch on his short list of candidates.

Fisch did not get the job and stayed with UCLA, but it gave Mora some swagger knowing Saban was eyeing the new Bruin hire.

Could this be a homerun hire? Could Fisch bring balance to the Bruins’ force? Bradley’s defense is set and ready to go, but the Bruins do have to work through another coaching philosophy, their third in  as many years. Still, there is an air of optimism, but just as well, caution.

Next: UCLA Football: 5 Things to Watch in Spring Practice

If Fisch is successful, this could significantly improve the overall product of UCLA Football which could put them back on the national stage. If it is not, then we could be closing in on the end of the Mora era, or at least the start of another awkward off-season. It all begins again on Tuesday as UCLA begins spring practice. Go Bruins!