Jim Mora’s donation is the largest ever by a sitting UCLA head coach

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Jim Mora, left, has made what UCLA calls the largest donation by a sitting head coach in school history. (Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff)

Jim Mora, left, has made what UCLA calls the largest donation by a sitting head coach in school history. (Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff)

Jim Mora and his family have made a personal donation to UCLA’s new football facility, which is good news for the Bruins in the way that additional money usually is.

But that this is a head coach putting in his own money — rather than a major booster — is a tremendous PR boost for the Bruins, who have endured offseason after offseason of speculation that their head coach could bolt for the NFL.

Mora and his wife Shannon made what the school called on Thursday “the largest donation by a sitting head coach in UCLA history.” Even if it doesn’t come close to matching some of the other figures poured into the project, it’s an easier sell for those unconvinced of the 53-year-old’s future in Los Angeles.

UCLA did not reveal the exact figure of the donation, but it had said last month that the Wasserman Football Center project had raised $54 million. After the Moras’ contribution, the school stated that it was within $10 million of its $65 million fundraising goal.

Mora himself earned $3.48 million in 2014, making him the highest-paid state employee in California. His most recent contract extension stipulated that all his buyouts would be waived if UCLA did not begin construction on a football facility by Oct. 1, 2015.

“UCLA has provided an amazing platform for us to help young people, both within our program and out in the community,” Mora said in a statement. “We are honored to join all the supporters who have contributed to this project and hope that others will continue to invest in the program we’ve been building over the past three years. Both Shannon and I are committed to establishing a lasting legacy here in Westwood and are excited about what the future holds for UCLA Football.”

Noting Jim and Shannon Mora’s Count On Me Family Foundation and their involvement with the Special Olympics, athletic director Dan Guerrero said that the couple’s impact on the community “extends well beyond the field of play.”

The coaches’ outdoor terrace of the Wasserman Football Center will be named in their honor. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled on Aug. 27 for both the football facility as well as UCLA’s new Mo Ostin Basketball Center.