Mario Cristobal felt he had work to do when he took the coaching job at Miami ahead of the 2022 season.
The Hurricanes were coming off a 7-5 season and the failed Manny Diaz era. The Hurricanes hadn’t had a double-digit-win season since 2017 under Mark Richt, so the program was far from where it needed to be.
Year one was a struggle for Cristobal, and Miami finished with a 5-7 record. In year two, the Hurricanes went 7-6, and in year three, they went 10-3 and boasted the Heisman Trophy winner and eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback Cam Ward.
Heading into year four of his tenure, Cristobal feels good about Miami, and he thinks a lot of that has to do with the Hurricanes being very aggressive in the NIL era. They have the ability to spend money to bring in top players, and they’re doing it.
“Well we’ve always been very well established. We’ve always been compliant, and we’ve been aggressive in the right kind of way and use it in a formative fashion that benefits our program and our players,” Cristobal said about NIL at ACC media days, according to Thomas Goldkamp of Rivals.
Miami’s NIL collective, Canes Connection, is professionally run, and it’s helped the Hurricanes improve their overall level of talent. The proof is in the pudding with that, too. When Cristobal first started at Miami, the Hurricanes produced just one draft pick — a seventh-rounder.
Seven players were selected out of Miami in this past NFL Draft, and as mentioned, Ward was the No. 1 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans.
“To me, Miami did not have the talent, and Miami did not recruit to the level that Miami is supposed to recruit,” Cristobal explained. “Now you fast forward three years later, Miami is coming off a 10-win season. Now Miami is sixth in the country in players drafted with double digit combine invites, with double digit wins, and with the No. 1 pick overall.
“The steady progress and trajectory is a product of a lot of people, players, coaches, staff members working really hard to get Miami to where it needs to be.”
Up next on the bucket list has to be the College Football Playoff for Miami, and from there, who knows what could happen.
Either way, “The U” seems to be back.
