Friday, January 8, 2010

Firing of Mora: Smart Move for Seahawks

A smart move, indeed.

Many will say that Jim Mora only lost so many games coaching the Seahawks because he was handed a bad team. Those people will argue that not even the greatest NFL coaches in history could win with this team. But based on what we saw in these last two months - and with the sudden emergence of a better option, namely USC's Pete Carroll - the Seahawks made the right move and severed a question mark from their thesis.

Mora came to Seattle as sort of a "prodigal" of sorts, having roots here in education and via familial coaching connections. He lived and breathed the Pacific Northwest - his destination was here (whether as a Seahawk coach or a Husky coach, that will always be a simmering debate), and he arrived heralded. The Seahawks announced his hiring as head coach an entire year before he started.

It's all about face, and the Seahawks saved face by performing an about-face. And hopefully its timeliness will work out - because this NFC West is by far the weakest division in the NFL - and they have an opportunity to right the ship in a three- to four-month period.

If I were to pin down what I think was Mora's downfall in his tenure, I would say his demeanor. His softness and lack of aggressiveness always came to light, even if he was telling the truth and being open to questions and criticism from the press and public. He's not Mike Holmgren, and he doesn't need to be. However, with lack of aggressiveness comes lack of control and faulty organization, and it was time for the Seahawks to knock down the leaning tower and get its foundations in line.