Jim Mora is too uncomfortable with the Colts to attend Peyton Manning’s statue unveiling

Jim Mora Sr. was Peyton Manning’s head coach for the first four seasons of his career. But when the Colts unveil the new statue of Manning at Lucas Oil Stadium this fall, Mora will be conspicuously absent thanks to lingering bad blood over the way his time in Indianapolis ended back in 2001.

During a recent appearance on WNDE’s Query and Schultz show, Mora explained why he won’t be there for the ceremony.

“I told (Manning) I wasn’t going to come,” Mora said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Dakota Crawford. “I had reasons. I would love to come back there, but because of the way I left the Colts, my relationship with (Bill) Polian, I don’t know. I just wouldn’t feel that I would feel comfortable being there.”

Those reasons, according to Mora, were the circumstances surrounding the end of his Colts tenure. Mora was directed by Polian to fire defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and he refused.

”I couldn’t fire a friend or a coach that I felt was very qualified that didn’t deserve to be fired. So I got fired. That was it,” Mora said.

Mora does not harbor any ill will toward Indianapolis or the Colts. He just thinks it would be uncomfortable to be involved in the statue unveiling ceremony.

“I would love to come, but I think I would just feel a little bit awkward there,” Mora said. “It was a big part of my career. I coached some really good players there. I loved the organization. I loved the city. It was a great city.”

Mora coached the Colts for four seasons, leading the team to the playoffs (PLAYOFFS?!) twice, but was never able to coach the team to a win in the postseason.

And even though Manning asked Mora to come back for the statue ceremony, the way Mora’s Colts career ended is still too difficult for him to move past.