Ivan Maisel: Mario Cristobal brings Miami identity, Nick Saban lineage

As Mario Cristobal gets set to enter his inaugural season at Miami, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the football program. A Hurricanes alumnus, Cristobal was an offensive lineman for the team during its glory days and a member of the 1989 and 1991 national championship teams.

That personal connection to the program is part of the reason the On3 senior writer Ivan Maisel believes Cristobal will find success with the Hurricanes, as he explained in a recent YouTube video.

“I like Miami. I kind of like them a little more in 2023 just because I want to give Cristobal a chance to get there and get established,” Maisel said. “He brings so much of what Miami needs. He brings an identity, or more importantly he brings their identity. He played there. They were 44-4 and won two national championships when he was an offensive lineman for Dennis Erickson.”

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Maisel also pointed to the fact that Cristobal was the associate head coach under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2013-16. After that, he proved he could win at the Power 5 level by compiling a 35-13 record at Oregon across four seasons.

“He’s a coach out of the Nick Saban school,” Maisel said. “He wants discipline. He wants focus. Two things that Miami has struggled to have lately. And he’s a terrific recruiter. If you’re gonna build that proverbial fence that Jimmy Johnson, he and (Howard) Schnellenberger were the first to build around South Florida, that’s the guy to do it and hopefully he’ll get it done.”

It certainly won’t be easy for Mario Cristobal to restore the winning tradition at Miami. After all, the Hurricanes have just one 10-win season since making the move from the Big East to the ACC in 2004. However, they can rest assured knowing that their coach has a winning track record and fits the mold of what Miami is all about.