 Mora in 2011 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | May 24, 1935 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | Occidental |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NFL: 125–106 (.541) USFL: 41–12–1 (.769) |
| Postseason: | NFL: 0–6 (.000) USFL: 7–1 (.875) |
| Career: | NFL: 125–112 (.527) USFL: 48–13–1 (.782) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
James Ernest Mora (born May 24, 1935) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1986 to 1996 and the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2001. Mora was also the head coach of the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the first iteration of the United States Football League (USFL) during its three years of existence and led the team to all three championship games, winning two.
As an NFL head coach, Mora was known for turning the Saints and Colts, two consistently losing franchises, into perennial postseason contenders. He became the first coach to lead the Saints to a winning record and playoff berth in 1987, their 21st season, earning him NFL Coach of the Year honors. However, his reputation was affected by going winless in the NFL postseason, in addition to impassioned postgame tirades and press conferences. Mora finished his career with a winning percentage of .527, the highest of NFL coaches without a playoff win. He is the father of former NFL and collegiate coach Jim L. Mora.