Mario Cristobal opens up about what Miami really means to him
Mario Cristobal had a really good thing going at Oregon, but he had the opportunity to come home – and that means a lot to him. The former Oregon head coach, who led the Ducks to 35 wins and a pair of bowl victories in four seasons in Eugene, is now back home in Miami to lead the Hurricanes’ program in the area that raised him.
Being born and raised in Miami and going on to play for the Hurricanes as a standout offensive lineman, Cristobal got his start in South Florida – and now he’s back home to take over a program he’s very familiar with.
During his introductory press conference Tuesday, Cristobal shared what it means to him to be back in Miami.
“Born and raised. Home is home,” Cristobal said. “And this home is special. It’s the most culturally diverse, vibrant, energized destination city in the entire world. The people – the location is awesome, right? It’s always what they tell you in in class and business management, ‘location, location, location,’ but there should be another line underneath it that says ‘the people, the people, the people.’
“I’m beyond fired up to be able to be where I played, born and raised and everything else. But again, these gentlemen, the people are the ultimate difference in everything. It’s a huge reason why I’m back home, it’s a ginormous reason why these young men that are here – our student-athletes – are going to continue to thrive and flourish and elevate standards because we’re going to surround them by the best. Some of them might be from South Florida and some of them might not, but I think once you’re part of the community down here, you’re part of it forever.”
Cristobal says Miami’s financial commitment impacted his decision
One school that is going all-in when it comes to investing into its football program is Miami, which recently hired former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal as its new head man. A team that has had its fair share of struggles over the years, Cristobal is tasked with turning things around, and he’ll have plenty of resources that can help make that happen.
During his introductory press conference Tuesday in Coral Gables, Cristobal made it clear that the investment Miami is putting into his new program was a big reason why he made the decision to leave Oregon and go lead the Hurricanes.
“That was one of the critical pieces, to be honest with you,” Cristobal said. “Football has changed so much, and it continues to change. A lot of people refer to it as an arms race. People talk about it a lot of times, and I think sometimes universities and colleges go the wrong way, because they just collect talent or collect facilities as opposed to investing in people. There’s a big difference.
“Having the opportunity to meet with these men and to realize the massive investment in making sure that these student-athletes have the best chance for success – it was a huge overwriting factor. And I had learned that when I had the chance to go away and work at some different spots.”