The seemingly never-ending University of Miami coaching saga has come to a close.
Mario Cristobal is coming home.
The former Oregon coach and two-time national champion Hurricane on Monday afternoon was officially named Miami’s 26th head football coach.
Miami native Cristobal, 51, will replace Manny Diaz, who was fired Monday morning after three seasons and a 21-15 overall record. Multiple sources told the Miami Herald that Cristobal’s UM contract is for 10 years and worth $80 million — at least five years longer and double the yearly money than Diaz got. It is on par with the 10-year, $95 million LSU contract that Brian Kelly just signed after leaving Notre Dame.
“My family and I are excited to return home to the University of Miami, which has been so instrumental in shaping me as a person, player, and coach,” Cristobal said in a UM release. “This program has an unparalleled tradition and an exciting future ahead of it. I can’t wait to compete for championships and help mold our student-athletes into leaders on and off the field who will make our University, our community, and our loyal fan base proud.”
Cristobal was on his way to Miami Monday and a press conference is expected Tuesday.
UM president Julio Frenk said in the release that the university is “incredibly excited to welcome Mario, his wife, Jessica, and their sons Mario Mateo and Rocco home to Miami.”
“Mario’s legacy as a student-athlete at the U is well established,’’ Frenk said. “And the standard for competitive excellence that he and his teammates helped establish is one to which we continue to aspire. Our selection, however, was not one based in nostalgia for a proud past, but rather in a bold vision for a promising future.
“The characteristics that helped Mario excel as a national championship-winning player—drive, determination, and discipline—continue to propel his success as a coach. In Mario we have found a head coach who shares our belief in providing student-athletes with the very best opportunities to succeed on and off the field, and our commitment to winning at the highest level.”
Sources said Cristobal is also being given a very large budget for assistant coaches and recruiting.
Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens anounced that Cristobal “informed the university” on Monday morning “that he has accepted the head football coach position at another university” and that “a nationwide search for the next leader of the Oregon football program is underway.”
“We appreciate all of Mario’s accomplishments and hard work here at Oregon,’’ Mullens said, “and we wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.”
It has been a longtime dream of Cristobal’s to return to South Florida to coach at his alma mater, be close to his family — his mother, Clara, is ill and he has traveled cross-country to visit her — and to discover talent in a recruiting hotbed he knows well.
Cristobal is known for his unbridled energy, intense work ethic and exceptional recruiting skills and had been the Oregon Ducks head coach for four seasons.
Legendary UM coach Jimmy Johnson told the Miami Herald he was thrilled about the hire.
“First of all, I’m really disappointed it didn’t work out for Manny,’’ Johnson said. “He organized well and recruited well, but the bottom line is they didn’t get the job done.
“I’m really excited about Mario. I know the family. I’ve been in his home. I recruited and coached his brother Luis and recruited Mario.
“I think he’s got a good start with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and he’s been around some great programs and has done a great job at Oregon. In fact, I recommended Mario to [former Miami athletic director] Blake James a few years ago for Miami when they went in a different direction with Mark Richt. Mario was interested in UM.
“He’s enthusiastic, he’s got great energy and he’s sincere — that’s one reason why he’s such an outstanding recruiter. He’s worked for Nick Saban [at Alabama] and has done a great job at Oregon. He’s got the pedigree to get it done.”
According to sources, Cristobal had agreed to terms with UM on Sunday afternoon, and was waiting to tell his team Monday morning before an announcement was made.
UM is also in the final stages of contract negotiations with Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich to be the next Hurricanes AD, but that announcement isn’t expected until a later date.
Diaz’s pending departure was not unexpected, despite his Hurricanes refusing to fold by battling for him and finishing the last half of the season 5-1 after starting it 2-4 for a 7-5 record. The university left Diaz in coaching limbo, but had him out on the road recruiting nonetheless, before the decision was made official.
Diaz’s nearly three-season tenure is the shortest for a UM head coach since Lou Saban’s in 1977 and 78. Howard Schnellenberger followed Saban in 1979 and brought UM its first of five national titles in 1983, Schnellenberger’s final season at Miami.
UM announced Diaz’s dismissal on Monday morning.
“We are grateful to Coach Diaz for his many contributions to our campus community and to his native South Florida, and for the strong leadership and exemplary character he exhibited during his tenure at the University,” said President Julio Frenk. “We wish him and his family the very best as they move forward.”
As of Monday afternoon, the future of Diaz’s staff was unknown. It also was uncertain who will coach the Hurricanes in their Dec. 31 Sun Bowl against Washington State in El Paso.
