ATLANTA, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons plan to hire Jim Mora Jr. as their new coach, it was reported Thursday night.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the team will make an official announcement Friday.
Mora, 42, is the son of former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora. For the past five seasons, the younger Mora has served as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
The hiring will be the first major personnel move for Rich McKay, who was hired as Falcons' general manager last month.
In Atlanta, Mora takes over a team that struggled to a 5-11 record this past season. But quarterback Michael Vick, the club's most exciting player and one of the NFL's rising stars, missed the first 11 games with a broken right fibula.
With a healthy Vick in 2002, the Falcons went 9-6-1 and claimed an NFC wild card berth.
