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Ray Lewis raves about Miami culture under Mario Cristobal

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs10/17/25grant_grubbs_
Mario Cristobal UF
Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after the game against the Florida Gators at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal didn’t to learn the Hurricanes’ culture when he was hired. It was already a part of him.

Cristobal played for Miami from 1989-92, helping the program win two national championships. Ahead of Miami’s game against Louisville on Friday, former Hurricanes linebacker Ray Lewis discussed what it’s like for a Miami player from his era to coach the historic program.

“You don’t have to ask yourself to relate. He is that. He’s the culture of that,” Lewis said. “Bringing Mario back, it took a few years to get these guys to understand it. But, man, when you walk in the U, it’s a different culture… It’s something about the U. It’s a different thing, it’s a different mindset, it’s a different attitude, it’s a different mentality.

“When you lock that in homegrown, with a head coach like that? Guys, this is — we just cannot take our eye off the ball… Every freaking day you get better, right? Every freaking day you come in and you challenge the person that’s next to you to be better, right? Forget the opponent, right? That’s one thing we have in our. Forget the opponent, you got to deal with us one way or another. I think this team is built like that.”

Lewis knows what a winning program looks like. He joined Miami one year after Cristobal graduated. Lewis was an immediate contributor for the Hurricanes, starting the final five games of his debut campaign.

He only improved the following two years, earning All-American honors both seasons. Lewis opted to forego his senior season at Miami to head to the NFL. Lewis played for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2012, and led the organization to two Super Bowls.

Now, Mario Cristobal is looking to take inspiration from Lewis and bring home some hardware to Miami. The Hurricanes have improved each season under Cristobal and are off to their best start yet during his tenure, boasting a 5-0 record.

Miami didn’t shy away from a difficult non-conference schedule. The Hurricanes defeated Notre Dame in their season-opener and also downed Florida and USF before entering ACC play. In Week 6, Miami secured the “state championship” with a win over Florida State.

Lewis couldn’t be happier to see his alma mater thriving again. On Friday, Miami will look to build on its momentum as it squares off against Louisville at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.