UCLA Coach Jim Mora apologizes for radio show comment

UCLA Coach Jim Mora apologized before practice Thursday for comments he made during a radio show Wednesday.

Mora, in discussing recruiting, said he makes a point to tell parents how safe it is at UCLA, adding, “We don’t have murders a block from our campus.”

The slayings of two Chinese graduate students near the USC campus in April became international news. Mora stood by his comments Thursday morning, saying that he was not referring to a particular campus.

In the afternoon Mora said, “After learning the details of the shooting downtown earlier this year, I can understand how my comments on the radio yesterday could be interpreted as insensitive to the victims and their families. The interviewer and myself were talking about UCLA football and the tremendous attributes of the UCLA campus, and I truly regret and I’m sorry if my words caused any pain. That was not my intention.”

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