Page 16/The BattalionAVednesday, January 29, 1986 Ryan may take c 46’ to Eagles TANK MFNAMARA® by Jeff Millar & Bill Hinds Saints choose ex-USFL coach to lead team Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — The New Or leans Saints plucked Jim Mora from the ranks of the United States Foot ball League Tuesday and gave him the task that six other coaches have failed to do in 19 years — post a win ning record with the hapless Na tional Football League team. “In Jim Mora, we have a man who has won and knows what it takes to have a winner,” Saints owner Tom Ben son said. “He’s won everywhere he’s been. He’s also the kind of per son we need for our team, our fans and our city.” Mora, 49, replaces Wade Phillips, who had a 1-3 record after his fa ther, Bum, resigned in late Novem ber with the team at 4-8. The 5-11 finish was the Saints’ second worst in Phillips’ five seasons at New Orleans, which never has had a winning season since the fran chise was formed in 1967. The Saints fired Wade Phillips and most of his staff Jan. 22. Excluding Wade Phillips and three other interim appointments, Mora becomes the seventh head coach hired by the Saints. Like Bum Phillips, Mora brings a winner’s credentials to New Orleans. He coached the USFL’s Stars to 52 victories over three years, including consecutive league championships the past two seasons, first at Phila delphia, then in Baltimore. Mora’s contract with the Stars ex pired Jan. 17 and the speculation was that he would become head coach of the NFL’s Philadelphia Ea gles. When that deal fell through, Mora was reported to be headed for New Orleans. That report was further fuefed by disclosures that Mora had been in terviewed by Benson Jan. 13 and by Saints general manager Jim Finks Jan. 21. Mora said there never was any tentative agreement with the Eagles and that he withdrew his name from consideration for the St. Louis Car dinals vacancy after amiable dis cussions with that team’s owner. Finks said Mora’s contract was for four years —“and that’s one more year than I have.” Neither Finks nor Mora would go -into further details about the agreement. “It’s good,” Mora said. “It’s good enough for me. I’m very happy with it.” Mora said he would bring his en tire staff of eight assistants from the Stars. “We will sit down with (scouting director) Joe Wooley and he will in doctrinate us,” he said. “We will be very involved over the next four days in going over our personnel.” He said he would hire a ninth as sistant coach and change the duties of Jim Erkenbeck and Carl Smith. Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan will leave the National Football League champions to take the head coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles, a source said Tuesday. Eagles officials scheduled a news conference for Wednesday but re fused to reveal the subject. No offi cial confirmation of the report was available. Although the Eagles’ six-week search for a new coach has spawned numerous rumors, the source, who is close to the team, said Ryan’s ap pointment was “100 percent” cer tain. Ryan, whose defense highlighted the Bears’ 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl Sunday, was in Philadelphia Tuesday to meet with Eagles general manager Harry Gamble. Ryan, an assistant in the NFL for 18 years with the New York Jets, Minnesota and the Bears, would suc ceed Marion Campbell, who was fired by owner Norman Braman Dec. 16 before the final game of the season. The report came on the same day the New Orleans Saints announced they had hired one of the Eagles’ top candidates, Jim Mora, formerly coach of the Baltimore Stars of the United States Football League. In the 1985 season, the Bear de fenders ranked first against the rush, third against the pass and first overall using Ryan’s famed 46 zone defense. Asked after the Super Bowl whether he was ready for a head coaching job, he said, “I’ve been re ady for 20 years.” Richmond’s ranking a ‘kiss of death’ Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond wasn’t thinking about a place in col lege basketball’s Top 20 when it went into Monday night’s game against Old Dominion, but the rank- ingjinxed the team anyway, said Spi ders Coach Dick Tarrant. “It’s like a kiss of death,” Tarrant said Tuesday. “We cracked the Top 20 and got bitten last night.” The Spiders were 20th in The As sociated Press poll which was re leased Tuesday, the first time Rich mond had been ranked since the 1954-55 season. Just hours before the weekly poll results were released, Richmond dropped a 62-59 home court deci sion to unranked Old Dominion, the Spiders’ second loss in 18 games. “To be in the Top 20 you have to beat somebody of note — somebody in the Top 20 — and we haven’t done that,” Tarrant said. “Navy was close, but we took such a beating at Georgia Tech that our guys weren’t thinking about it.” The Spiders beat the Midship men, who were ranked 19th in the preseason poll, 67-61, last Thursday and their only previous loss was a 90- 64 defeat at Georgia Tech Dec. 30. North Carolina, 21-0, remained the unamimous No. 1 choice of the nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters for the second straight week. Following North Carolina, which received 1,260 points for its 63 first- place votes, was Memphis State, 20- 0, the only other major unbeaten, with 1,171 points. Rounding out the Top Ten were Georgia Tech, the preseason choice as No. 1, Kansas, Duke, Oklahoma, St. John’s, Kentucky, Michigan and Nevada-Las Vegas. Syracuse, a Top Ten team all sea son until this week, leads the Second Ten, followed by Georgetown, Brad ley, Notre Dame, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Louisiana State, Louisville, Texas-El Paso and Richmond. ! i I s C & W Dance Classes Start This Weekend at Graham Central Station Sundays 6-7pm (Feb 2) Thursdays 5-6 pm (Feb 6) Beginner learn to two-step, polka, and waltz the easy way. Class size is limited so you’ll get all the personal attention you need! Sundays 5-6 pm (Feb2) Jitterbug Thursdays 6-7 (Feb 6) Don’t miss out on Jitterbug because you dont know how. We’ll start with the basics and move into dips and aerials that are exclusively taught at Grahams. AM Classes 5 weeks long $15 per person Call John Benson 696-2639 for more information S^aCA* 2 for 1 Special on Suntana Club Membership Now through January 31 The Original. 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