Mora’s comments don’t bother Willingham

SEATTLE – By the time Washington football coach Tyrone Willingham heard any of the comments Atlanta Falcons’ coach Jim Mora made, much of the furor had died down.

“I didn’t find out much about this until it was a dead issue,” Willingham said Monday. “I was busy doing what we do … recruit.”

Mora was a guest last Thursday on Seattle radio station KJR-AM. While saying he respects Willingham, Mora added, “If that job’s open, you’ll find me at the head of the line with my resume in hand ready to take that job.”

Mora, being interviewed by KJR’s Hugh Millen, his former roommate at UW, and Dave Mahler, was then asked, “If you’re available?”

Said Mora: “It doesn’t even matter if I’m available. … I don’t care if we’re in the middle of a playoff run. I’m packing my stuff and coming back to Seattle.”

The interview was widely played on Atlanta radio stations and Mora spent the day before the Falcons’ played Dallas diffusing the situation. He issued a statement Friday to try and clarify the comments, and later at a news conference said his attempts at sarcasm and humor in the interview didn’t work. Mora also addressed his players about his comments before the Falcons’ 38-28 loss to Dallas on Saturday.

Speaking with reporters Monday about a new project called “Flashback Football” – a fantasy camp for adults – Willingham was asked his thoughts on Mora’s comments.

“My thought is very simply this: if you just let people speak you can find out a lot,” Willingham said. “I heard one of the commentators say, that was a great case of opening mouth and inserting foot, is what I think they said, so I was pretty comfortable with anything that came out.”

Willingham just finished his second season at Washington, going 5-7, a three-win improvement over his first year. The Huskies closed the year with a 35-32 win over rival Washington State, knocking the Cougars out of bowl game contention.

Mora, an alumnus of Washington, was approached by some alumni two years ago when the position was open, but chose not to leave his post in Atlanta. Mora said he then endorsed Willingham for the job.

Willingham also said he expects a change in his coaching staff, but stopped short of confirming that wide receivers coach Eric Yarber is leaving to join Dennis Erickson at Arizona State.

Yarber played for Erickson at Idaho in 1985 and started his coaching career under Erickson.

Willingham said there would be no hurry to fill the position, noting “I’m never in a rush to make any decisions about changes in staff.”