Cristobal Named Canes Associate Head Coach

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Former University of Miami standout Mario Cristobal has been named associate head coach and will coach the tight ends for the Hurricanes, head coach Al Golden announced Thursday.

With Cristobal’s hiring, Brennan Carroll will expand his role to become the wide receivers coach and take a larger role in the passing game after previously coaching the tight ends in 2011 and 2012.

Cristobal was a four-year letterwinner for the Hurricanes from 1988-92, playing for Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. An All-BIG EAST offensive tackle, Cristobal was a key member and leader of the Canes program, helping UM to the 1991 national championship.

The Miami native comes to Coral Gables with a wealth of coaching experience, most recently as head coach at Florida International University from 2007-12. He guided the Panthers to the 2010 Sun Belt Conference title and their first bowl appearance, a victory over Toledo in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. He was named 2010 Sun Belt Coach of the Year and later led FIU to 2011 Beef’O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl.

Prior to taking over the FIU program, Cristobal was an assistant coach for three seasons at ‘The U’ – first as tight ends coach in 2004-05 and as offensive line coach in 2006. His first full-time coaching gig was an assistant at Rutgers, where he coached tight ends and offensive line from 2001-03.

During his time as tight ends coach at Rutgers and Miami, Cristobal coached three NFL Draft picks in L.J. Smith (2nd Round, 2003 NFL Draft), Kevin Everett (3rd Round, 2005 NFL Draft) and Greg Olsen (1st Round, 2007 NFL Draft).

A prep standout at Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School, he graduated from Miami in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and followed with a master’s degree from UM in 2001. He was a graduate assistant on the Miami Hurricanes football staff from 1998-2000.

Before becoming a graduate assistant at Miami, he signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in 1994. He played for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe for the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

Cristobal married his wife Jessica in June 2006 and the couple has two sons – Mario Jr. and Rocco.

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