Mora chosen as Falcons head coach

<p>Jim Mora is following his father as an NFL head coach.</p><p>Mora, San Franciscos defensive coordinator, agreed Thursday to become coach of the Atlanta Falcons, inheriting a team that was a major disappointment this season but has one of the leagues most exciting players in Michael Vick.</p><p>Falcons owner Arthur Blank scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to introduce the new coach. A source close to the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mora was the choice.</p><p>The son of former New Orleans and Indianapolis coach Jim Mora was a finalist for the San Francisco job last year before the 49ers hired Dennis Erickson.</p><p>Mora met with Blank for the first time Wednesday, having interviewed the previous week with new Atlanta general manager Rich McKay.</p><p>Following the interview, Blank moved quickly to hire Mora instead of waiting for an assistant coach whose team was still involved in the playoffs.</p><p>The Falcons also interviewed defensive coordinators Lovie Smith of St. Louis and Romeo Crennel of New England.</p><p>Dan Reeves was fired Dec. 9 as the Falcons coach, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took over on an interim basis. Atlanta finished 5-11, although Phillips went 2-1.</p><p>They called and told me they werent going to hire me, but they didnt tell me who they were going to hire, Phillips said from his Atlanta-area home. Im disappointed, yeah, but its just time to move on.</p><p>The Falcons reached the second round of the playoffs during the 2002 season but fell apart after Vick broke his right leg in the preseason. A seven-game losing streak sealed Reeves fate, though he did hang around long enough to become just the sixth coach to earn 200 NFL victories.</p><p>Vick started the final four games of the season, the Falcons winning three of them. News of Moras hiring caught the quarterback by surprise.</p><p>I hadnt heard anything about that, he said from his offseason home near Newport News, Va.</p><p>Mora, 42, has worked the last five years as the 49ers defensive coordinator. He spent the 1997 and 98 seasons coaching San Franciscos secondary and held the same job with San Diego in 1986-88.</p><p>Moras first job came was in the Chargers pro personnel department.</p><p>Besides drawing interest from Atlanta, Mora also interviewed with the Chicago Bears, and his name was mentioned for the Oakland job.</p><p>In addition to Smith and Crennel, the Falcons interviewed two Pittsburgh assistants, offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and defensive coordinator Tim Lewis.</p><p>Lewis was fired by the Steelers on Tuesday.</p><p>Blank didnt interview any college coaches, though LSU coach Nick Saban was thought to be on the Falcons list of prospective candidates after guiding the Tigers to a share of the national championship.</p><p>In my opinion, it doesnt matter who contacts him, LSU athletic director Skip Bertman said. Hes pretty much committed to staying here. With kids in junior high and a wife thats happy, he likes the situation he has. I dont think this is the time for him.</p><p>Mora was a finalist for the 49ers job last February and interviewed in Carolina after the Panthers fired George Seifert following the 2001 season. His San Francisco defense this year ranked 13th in yardage allowed and 21st in points allowed.</p><p>The Falcons finished last in defense, allowing a franchise-record 6,108 total yards. After the season ended, Blank and McKay insisted that the Falcons problems on defense wouldnt eliminate Phillips as a candidate.</p><p>Phillips, hired in January 2002, helped the Falcons move from 30th to 19th in yards allowed his first season. They also ranked third in takeaways, fourth in sacks and ninth in points allowed.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer George Henry contributed to this report.</p>

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